This One's A Fighter
by Blame Blam
Summary: Glee Rewrite! Sam transfers to McKinley High and hopes for a new beginning. But soon he has to realise that he can't run away from himself. (Keeps mostly to canon but with some profound changes.)
1. Season 2! Prologue, Duets

Okay, okay. I should focus on the Blamchel story, I KNOW. And I promise it will continue soon. But tonight my inner Sam stan came out and wanted to write this story. I needed it. I hope someone out there will see what I did here. It's a Sam story, not as usual Blam. I'm not saying there won't be any Blam at all (or that there will be, I'm not saying anything! Ha!) but I'm also not saying that Sam won't have other boy- and girlfriends.

_Pairing warning._ I won't put up a pairing warning for this story since I actually start with canon _Fabrevans_ (and _Hevans_) hints and whoever gets through this won't mind any other pairings including Sam, am I right? (Well, that's the thing with me, anyway.) So okay, here's my warning: I'm putting up with canon Sam-parings. Some I'll let play out, some I will let fade away in favor of non-canon pairings that seem fit.

(I took the title from a great YT video about Sam Evans.)

* * *

**This One's A Fighter  
**(or How Glee Would Have Been If Sam Was Gay)

* * *

**Prologue**

"A fresh start, a new life!" Sam's dad Dwight said daily now as they were packing their bags.

After a week of hearing it Sam started to believe it himself. It was the day before the move, most of their stuff was already on its way to Lima. He just had said goodbye to all of his roommates from Kennedy Academy and the last good advice Edward had given him was "Loose it up, man, or you will never get a girl, maaaan! Know what I mean?"

"I'm gonna losen it up! I'm gonna get a girlfriend the minute I arrive at McKinley", Sam said to his mirror image. A fresh start, right?

His gaze fell on a beauty magazine. Sam threw a look over his shoulder and then browsed the magazine until he came to the hair section. He had already seen the tips in here a few times (his mum and Stacy were doing a girly session every now and then, and somehow the magazine was always present in the bathroom) and he wondered whether it was true that natural blonde hair got even lighter when you put lemon juice in it. It couldn't be true, right?

But if it was he so had to do it. A new life was awaiting him, so he definitely needed new hair, too.

Sam went to the kitchen, got all available lemons and the juice squeezer and went back to the bathroom.

* * *

**Chapter 1  
**

**Duets**

Actually, the first thing Sam did on McKinley wasn't getting a girlfriend. It was joining the football team which was just as good. Because being the quarterback (and that's what he aimed for) would put him at a good position for getting girls. For the beginning a cheerleader would do anyway.

"I want to talk to you about Glee club", one of his team mates said. And went on about how it would make Sam cool if he joined mentioned club. But he wasn't so sure about that. He was already the new kid, and most of his other team mates didn't think very high of the Glee club.

But Sam didn't even need to justify himself for not joining because the boy who had tried to persuade him, Finn, was kicked off the team soon after that. Plus Sam got the quarterback position, he didn't need more stuff going on. His new dyslexia counsellor demanded check-ins twice the week so Sam had enough on his mind.

One week later Finn was back but luckily he didn't talk about Glee club anymore. He and Artie, the wheelchair football player (yeah… Sam didn't dare to ask questions there), hang out all the time. Sometimes Sam listened in on their conversations in the locker room when they thought everybody was wrapped up in their own minds.

They seemed to get along very well, and not the usual 'let's stick together because it makes us stronger' stuff. It came across as if they really liked each other. The fact that Finn got kicked out because he wanted to help Artie just added to that theory. And they were together in Glee club, along with Puck. When the three of them were together it made a different impression as to when the other team mates were together. There was no bickering or making jokes, it almost came across like… family.

Sam watched them walk out, puckering his lips. He wanted to have friendships like that, too. To feel at home in school – well, he knew that wouldn't always be possible but if he at least could find one or two friends he could always rely on, that'd be great.

And he wasn't in a boarding school anymore. There were no roommates forced upon him, not the same structure in every class. He could choose his friends on his own now.

Maybe he should actually join the Glee club.

* * *

One week later (after having pondered about it thoroughly while he was home sick with a dislocated shoulder) he walked into the choir room at Mr. Shue's catchword and that was when things started to turn really chaotic.

And it was all Kurt's fault.

On Tuesday night Sam sat in front of his Computer, checking his Emails. Kurt had sent him about sixty mp3 (honestly!) of himself singing and Sam listened to all of them, trying to recognize the boy from school in it.

"It sounds like Faith Hill", he mumbled to himself, not sure if Kurt was trying to mess with him. But he had sounded really sincere about wanting to sing a duet together.

Sam didn't know what to do. Duets were supposed to be between a girl and a boy, right? He had side eyed all the girls in the Glee club today and wondered whether he had chances with one of the Cheerleaders. He needed a girlfriend, only then he would get truly happy (according to all of his former roommates).

But Kurt had asked him now, not any of the girls.

Edward would totally tease the hell out of him if he knew about that. He'd say how gay Sam was and how he would never get a girl. And though Edward wasn't here Sam wanted to proof him wrong after all those hackneyed sayings.

On the other hand – nobody in Glee club seemed to care if anyone was gay or not (of course Sam totally wasn't). Plus Kurt's voice sounded really good.

Sam sighed, then tipped 'ok' into his answer email and sent it.

* * *

"Being in Glee club is like… it's like walking down the doubled yellow lines of a Highway. If you get just a little off course you're gonna get crashed", Finn said.

Sam took his shirt out of his locker. That didn't sound at all like the stuff Finn had talked about until now.

"I gotta be honest, you're kind of confusing my head right now", Sam said. "Do you remember what you said when you talked me into joining Glee club?"

Finn gazed to the side and didn't say anything for a few seconds, maybe trying to remember what he had sad a few weeks ago. Sam quickly changed into his pants and kept on talking.

"I joined Glee club because I'm new here and you said it would make me popular and now you're telling me it's gonna get me killed."

"Well, eventually you will get popular, believe me. But until then… you gotta lay low a little. And singing a duet with another dude isn't laying low."

Ah, that's what it was about! Finn had a problem with gay dudes. And Sam had really thought things were different in Glee club! Not that he cared for himself (he didn't need to, after all he was straight) but for Kurt. And all other gay dudes on this school. World. Whatever.

Finn tried to talk his way out of it but Sam said he would stay true to his word. Then he left the locker room – and got hit by an ice cold, pasty stuff right into his face. Some got into his eye but the shock of being bullied for the first time at McKinley – and worse, by some of his _team mates_ – made him stand still.

"The blueberry ones are the worst", one of the Cheerio girls in Glee club said. Sam didn't know where she had come from and right now he didn't care. He let her guide him to the bathroom where he put his head under cold water.

So apparently Finn had lied. He had said they would be like _Gods_. Now Sam was being treated like the worst outcast. Just what he had wanted to avoid in this new school!

When he could pay attention to his environment again he saw how cute Quinn was. Blonde, pretty face, a Cheerio… everything what a boy could ever want from a girl! (Edward would be totally jealous if Sam would start to date her.)

But maybe he should first start listening to her.

"…it's worth it. It will get better, too. You won't quit Glee club now, will you?"

"Naah. I've experienced worse", he said, smiling to her. She looked seriously at him, though, and Sam changed the topic. Going into bullying experiences wasn't exactly the best way to impress a girl.

No. For that he used his poor but nonetheless existing Navi-skills.

"Lor Menari."

Quinn only glared at him.

"It means: you have pretty eyes. It's Navi, the Avatar language", Sam said. Bingo! Now she'd totally fancy him, right? Girls liked intelligent boys who could speak a foreign language.

But to his surprise Quinn remained unexpressed and even walked away. Clearly she was playing hard to get.

Girls liked to be serenaded with music, Sam knew that from several movies. (Actually, everything he knew about girls was from movies but who cared.) So the next day he took his guitar out of the choir room and started going down the hallway to where Quinn's locker was. Sooner or later she'd come there and he would ask her to go with him to the astrology room and sing a bit.

As friends, of course. He couldn't move too fast. Or… was this just what girls wanted? He could totally give her a fake engagement ring. Girls digged getting married! Sam didn't really but if he started with a fake ring nothing could go wrong, right? She'd be his girlfriend in no time.

* * *

Sam leaned against the lockers and played some chords. What would he do when he had a girlfriend? Make out with her, yes, but in the greater sense? Update his facebook status so Edward would know, alright. But what then? Did he have to buy her things weekly? He didn't really have much money.

The reason his parents moved because his dad had lost his job and only found a new one in Lima. It wasn't paid as well as his old job so no fancy school anymore. And only five dollars pocket money per week. Sam was okay with that but he'd better not tell anyone. Being poor wasn't cool.

"Hey, Sam, I was just looking for you. What are you doing – do you want to get slushied or why are you standing here in the hallway with a guitar that has written Glee club all over it?" Kurt asked.

Sam shrugged. "They already slushied me so –"

"So what? You think they wouldn't do it twice a week? Or a day? Or an hour?"

"Really?" Sam looked up and down the hallway. He was the quarterback, would they really... again?

"Can we talk? In private?" Kurt said.

Since Sam didn't saw Quinn anywhere near he nodded and followed Kurt into a room.

Of course it had to be the astronomy room.

Sam looked at the planets hanging around. Wasn't it fascinating? In the end they _all_ just were little creatures in an endless galaxy.

"I like being in here. Something about all that space make my problems seem so small", he said, before he realised he had talked out loud. Damn.

But instead of a snarky comment a la Edward Kurt followed his gaze and nodded.

"True."

Huh. Seemed like the Glee kids really were a bit more open-minded.

Or was it because Kurt was gay? What was the difference between Kurt and any other boy who liked girl; what strange fate decided who one turned out to like in the end?

Kurt had his own graze, not like Quinn's beauty but still elegant. If a boy could be like that. Now, Sam wasn't gay so he shouldn't think so much about it…

"About our duet. I'm setting you free", Kurt said.

"Did I do something to offend you?"

"It's not you, it's me. I've decided that –"

"Did Finn talk you out of it?" Sam interrupted him.

When Kurt only looked at him and blinked Sam cleared his throat.

"He tried to talk me out of it, too. But I don't get it. They say Glee club is all about tolerance and being friends with each other no matter the differences and now all of a sudden it's too complicated just because two guys want to sing together? What about Santana and Mercedes, they've sung together as friends! So why can't we?"

Kurt adjusted the books he was carrying.

"So you... actually _want_ to sing with me?"

"Dude, why wouldn't I?"

Kurt bit his lip and looked to the door. Since Sam already had his guitar he started to play a few chords.

"Singing will be easy, so we just have to work on the choreography."

Kurt relaxed and even smiled a little.

Sam went closer to him and smiled, too. He danced around a little, not breaking eye contact.

"Now comes the cool part. Give me your hand."

And Kurt did it. He didn't laugh at him, he simply went with Sam's crazy idea.

"Do you know how to play?"

"No."

"It's easy. Just put your fingers there…"

Wow, Kurt was really close. Sam smelled his cologne, and it wasn't like any of the scents he had ever smelled on another dude. It was sweeter. A weird mixture of girl-smell and boy-smell, but in a good way.

The guitar playing stopped and they looked at each other. Sam couldn't help but to lean in a little, and Kurt didn't seem to mind. It was just when Sam moved even closer that Kurt backed away and Sam awoke from kind of a trance.

He had tried to kiss him.

"Are you playing with me? That's not nice, Sam, and I don't get what you get out of this, just…"

"I wasn't, I wasn't…"

"Here I am, trying to be nice to you and… you just…" Kurt looked really hurt.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have tried that", Sam quickly said.

Why on earth would he even want to do… this? Yes, the atmosphere had been nice but _come on_. Kurt was a boy. A nice smelling one, but nonetheless a _boy_.

"Just… I can't sing with you", Kurt said, then he left the room.

Sam sighed and leaned against a table.

He wasn't gay.

He had thought about that already and had put it behind him. Not only because he didn't want to be but because boys were not _nice_. Look at Edward. He was such a mean dude, no matter that he had beautiful eyes, too. Those eyes hadn't stopped him from pushing Sam's head into the toilette and flush it after he and other roommates had found out what had happened between Sam and Aidan. Well, _nothing_ had happened but some looks and nose brushing in the quiet of a class room seemed to be gay enough for Edward to punish Sam for it.

But it was over now, they would never meet again. Sam would find a nice girlfriend and have a fresh start at McKinley.


	2. Duets, Rocky Horror

Thank you for the reviews! Maybe I should warn you that I don't write out everything from canon. Like things that don't have to do with Sam... some I mention but others are completly gone. But I'm sure you all know everything by heart anyway. :-)  
Concerning _Rocky Horror Glee Show_: I didn't know how detailed they played out the nasty scenes so I went with 'they did everything'. (Hey I actually googled this musical and watched it just to know what it was about so yeah, let's not let my research be in vain.)  
PS: Yes, Blaine will appear in later chapters ;-)

**Chapter 2**

"So, have you asked Quinn about the duet?" Finn approached Sam in the locker room once again.

"What makes you think I'm listening to what you told me? I can make my own decisions. And isn't Glee about being who you are instead of doing what people want you to?"

"What's that got to do with who you sing the duet?"

"You're trying to talk me out of plans I made, that's my point."

"Look. Rachel and I are trying to help you and –"

"So this was Rachel's idea?"

"Uh, no, I didn't say that. Cross that out of your mind, okay?"

"Anyway. I got a fresh start at McKinley and I will not ruin it with letting you talk me out of things. If Kurt still wants me – I mean wants to sing with me – then I'll do it."

"We just want you to stay in Glee club, and you won't when they bully you out of it!" Finn exclaimed.

"I am used to getting bullied. What I'm not used to is having friends who support me and I kind of hoped I'd find those in Glee club."

_Bamm_! Perfect storm off!

* * *

Later that day Sam carefully watched out for his mean teammates. The hallways were filled with normal students so he was good. Now he just needed to find Kurt and apologise to him. Oh, and then find Quinn and say something that made her want to date him. Whatever this would be he would decide spontaneously.

Kurt came down the hallway and Sam walked next to him.

"I was so out of line yesterday! I promise it won't happen again, just… I would hate if this ruined our duet partnership. You have a really beautiful voice and I think we'd have a chance of winning the Breadstix coupons", he said.

"I think that, too", Kurt said.

"So, does it mean that we're…?"

"Yes, we can sing together. After all Glee is about friendship and supporting each other even when someone was a little out of line", Kurt said with a smirk (had he talked to Finn? But who cared). He continued his way while Sam stayed back and grinned. They were singing partners again, yay!

So now about Quinn. Sam looked around if she conveniently walked by, too. But when she didn't he shrugged and thought it wouldn't hurt to wait one more day.

* * *

The duet went down smoothly. It was great singing with Kurt. But all other competitors were good, too, so he wouldn't know if they'd win.

"That was awesome", he said to Kurt as they sat down. It had been more than awesome, actually. And Sam had felt a vibe between them, and he was pretty sure it was a gay vibe. Like a vibe he would have with a girl (and had had with Aidan). He wasn't sure though if that was something he would want in his life. But for now, for this one time, it had felt really great.

Sam eyed everybody else, wondering if they had noticed it. He caught Rachel's eyes while she threw a glance over her shoulder. She and Finn still were in their weird costumes after the even weirder song they'd sung. Everybody had told Sam Rachel would be the strongest competition and now… this. Huh.

* * *

On Friday in Glee club they got to vote for the winner of their duets.

"Who should I vote for?" he asked Kurt who he was sitting next to.

"For us, Sam. Pretty sure everybody is going to vote for themselves so in the end it's Mr Schue who has to decide who was best."

He wrote 'Kurt and Sam' on his paper and tossed it into the hat Mr Schue went around with.

They won by two votes! Somebody seemed to have voted for them and Sam wasn't sure but he suspected Finn. Maybe that was his silent apologise for trying to influence Sam's choices? Anyway, it was awesome!

* * *

So he would go to a restaurant on Friday night with another boy. Sam only realised what this could seem like to others when he was trying to decide what to wear. One minute he was there, looking at a blue shirt and in the next he stared at his mirror image.

"Shit. People are gonna think we're on a date, won't they?" he said out loud.

Today Karofsky had made a comment about how Sam always hung out with 'the gay Glee dude' and asked if they were doing it. Sam had tried to ignore it but he must've gotten red cause Karofsky's 'jokes' had turned mean then. Luckily Finn had come over and saved him – although Sam didn't need no saving from anybody.

The point was people were really mean to gay guys. Like Edward and his friends used to be. Karofsky was totally another Edward, maybe even meaner (and not as good looking) so Sam had to watch out for this one.

Though this time it was different even with the bullies around. Sam didn't have to adjust to them to still have some kind of friends, to not feel like a total loser and having his lunch smacked out of his hand in the cafeteria every other day. No, this time he had real friends like Finn who stepped in. Hell, even Noah Puckerman was in Glee club and had been seen defending that wheelchair kid, Artie, even though some of their football teammates had given him crap for that, too. Granted, Puck was in juvie right now but… If he weren't he'd had defended Sam, too.

They would still like him if he decided to be gay. (And yes, he had control about it, no matter what the booklets in the library said.)

But did Kurt even like him?

Sam put on the shirt in his hand and worked on some impressions to make sure he still didn't suck at it.

* * *

The Breadstix restaurant was pretty neat. There were normal tables with chairs and some with benches, they had big windows and granny lamps.

They took seats in a lounge facing each other and ordered, talked about school stuff and nothing really personal. That is until Kurt leaned forwards and raised his eyebrows.

"So, now tell me… Does it come from a bottle? Your hair colour?"

Sam couldn't help but grin.

"Well… might as well tell you. When I found out we were moving here I wanted to seem cool, you know? I figured when I looked like Swayze people would think I'm a surfer or something."

Kurt looked curiously at him, waiting for the resolution of the story.

"So…" Sam took a nervous breath. "I put lemon juice in my hair."

"Ha, I knew it!" Kurt clapped his hands in laughter, and Sam grinned, too.

"I would've gotten away with it if it hadn't been for you and your sixth sense!"

Kurt calmed down and took a look at Sam's hair.

"I think it is cute."

"Really?"

Oh my God, there it was again, the vibe! After a moment Sam looked down at his plate. This was a bit awkward, just a bit.

Kurt took the coupons that were lying on the table and put them into his purse.

"What are you doing?"

"Oh, we're not using them. You pay."

"Why?"

"Because a gentleman always pays on the first date, did no one tell you?"

Sam grinned at the boy. So he did like him!

Wait… did he just say they were on a date?

But Sam hadn't decided yet if he wanted to be gay or not! Why couldn't things slow down a bit?

"Everything okay? Suddenly you look as if Lisa Minnelli has come through the door. Has she?" Kurt turned around to glance at the door.

"Who?" Sam asked.

"You know, Sam, for a guy who likes guys you're pretty uneducated regarding the classics", Kurt said. "It almost made me think you're straight."

"And what makes you think I am not?"

Kurt's mouth fell open and his cheeks turned a little more red than usual so Sam hurried to say:

"I mean, I don't know yet. And liking guys is not… excluded."

There, he had said it. No chance of taking it back now.

"Oh, I just… assumed… you tried to kiss me. And you were pretty flirty at some times, did I make that all up?"

"No… I don't know. I guess there was a certain vibe…"

"Yes. There was." Kurt nodded and grinned. "No rush, okay? I never had a boyfriend before so –"

Sam must've looked pretty shocked because Kurt interrupted himself after a glance at him.

"I didn't mean to say you're my… or will be… or… what I meant to say was I wouldn't wanna rush into things."

Sam breathed in and calmed down. No rush, good, no pressure. He was okay with that. If it all was just fun and no consequences he'd even be okay with this being a date.

* * *

On the next day he went through an old yearbook. He had been on a date with a boy and none of his former roommates knew it, nor could they beat him up for it! Wow, this must be what true freedom felt like. And how could he choose to be either gay or straight if he wasn't allowed to try it, anyway? Now he had to go out with Quinn to have a comparison.

He wondered what his parents would say if he choose to be gay. He didn't even know what they thought about other, non-related gay dudes. He should find out. Like, now.

Sam went to the living room. His younger siblings Stevie and Stacy were watching TV while his Mum was sitting in front of the computer. Sam sat down on the couch and pretended to watch Disney Channel, too, but in fact he was biting his lip and thinking about how to graze the topic.

"Sam, do you like public school?" his mother asked. Sam turned his head.

"Huh? Yeah, it's not that bad."

"Because I did some research about private schools in Lima. It's not that we could afford it but some offer scholarships. Like this one, Dalton Academy. They even have dyslexic counselling."

"McKinley has that, too", Sam said. Damn, he still had to check in with his counsellor this week. But first things first.

"I already found friends there, you know? In Glee club. Kurt, for example. But he gets bullied because he's gay."

"Bullied?" His mother looked up, worries in her eyes. "But they don't bully you, do they?"

"Uhm… They bully Kurt because he is gay."

His mother still didn't react to it but kept on surfing the internet. Sam didn't know how else to mention it. But luckily his stupid brother jumped in.

"He is _gay_? Euw!"

Sam looked at his fingers and waited. But somehow, again, his mother didn't say anything. So he had to.

"Don't say it like that, Stevie. Kurt is a nice guy."

"Do you love him? Are you gay, too!?"

"Uh, not really the question here."

Stevie began to scream and jump around while Stacey held her hands on her ears.

"That's enough, young man. Go to your room!"

Sam sighed as his mother guided Stevie out. Another time, then.

* * *

**Rocky Horror Glee Show**

In Glee club they did Rocky Horror this week and Sam got to play Rocky. For that he had to go on stage in really tight golden shorts. Now, he told everybody in school he was fine with it but truth was he was nervous thinking about it. Being half naked in front of the whole school..?

Not because of his body. He worked out every day. He had started it to feel strong and have the illusion to be able to defend himself against some of Edward attacks (illusion because it never was just Edward but also his friends so of course all his muscles didn't help Sam) and had kept it up for two reasons. First, it nonetheless made him feel stronger and second, he wanted to look good. For his future girlfriend, and in general, and after school he wanted to get into modelling to finally let all this learning shit behind him so he might as well get used to staying in shape.

* * *

"I can't be on stage in my tighty-whities", Finn said one day in the locker room. "Are you comfortable with this?"

"Are you joking? Yes, I am", Sam said and pulled up his shirt so Finn could adore his abs. "I earned these, man."

"But doesn't it get exhausting? Watching what you eat all the time, working out like a mad men?"

Sam shook his head. "Nah. I mean, if I miss a work out or eat a hot dog I hate myself for a few days but the fact is if I wanna be cool, if I wanna get the girl, I gotta look the part."

But when he actually wore those pants… let's say they didn't leave much to the imagination. Sam watched out none of the girls looked at him and he also didn't want Kurt to get very close. When Finn told Mr Schue he'd safe his underwear part for the opening performance Sam asked if he could get some wider shorts.

But it didn't happen during the first dress rehearsal. Sam tried to play it cool like everything else. Hell, all his Glee friends were in their costumes! Plus Rachel would lose some of her clothes during the performance, too.

Mr Schue took the dress rehearsal pretty serious (and he seemed _so_ stressed out! All the time he fought with Carl, the dentist) so Sam didn't want to mess anything up. He kept on acting all cool about his sexy scene but truth was he had neither kissed a girl nor a boy before. He hadn't had time to kiss Aidan, and no opportunity to kiss any girls. So his first kiss would be a stage performance? With the girlfriend of his football team mate even so?

"Finn, don't kill me, please don't kill me", he mumbled just before his scene. But just now Finn acted out a sex scene with yet another girl – who played a dude – so he'd understand it was all for the show.

"Don't be afraid, there's nothing to be seen", Rachel said while she combed her hair. She wore a bathing robe because she had already had a half-naked scene. Sam really didn't know why they didn't have robes for boys, too.

"What?"

"Your costume. You said you're afraid it would show some nuttage."

Sam held his hands in front of his crotch and cleared his throat. Damn, he couldn't do this!

"Don't look", he said although she had turned her back to him to look into the mirror.

"Sam. I have to do more than just look."

"Uhu. Finn is having sex with Mercedes."

Rachel frowned and put her brush away. She turned around.

"Are you nervous? Is this your first dress rehearsal ever?"

"Yeah. Not my only first time today", Sam mumbled. Luckily she didn't ask for details because no way he'd told her he was a virgin. In all kinds of ways.

"It's going to be okay", she assured him.

Turned out she was right. It was okay, more than okay to touch her (even though it wasn't okay because in those shorts people _could_ see everything) and in the evening when Sam was home he was confused again. He clearly wasn't _gay_. So it _was_ true, he could choose what he wanted to be!

Though he still couldn't make a decision since he had been on a date with a boy but not a girl, and on the other hand he had made out with a girl but not with a boy. What to do, _what? _Was life always that hard?

But he had wanted to ask Quinn out, anyway. Didn't matter that this night he dreamt about Rachel. And of Finn, but more in violent than in a sexy way. Somewhere in this mix also was Kurt. But when Sam woke up he preferred not to think about his dreams anymore.

* * *

So on Thursday Mr Schue came up to Sam and told him he had second thoughts about him playing Rocky. Sam's initial reaction was asking if there was something wrong with his body, and for a moment all memories of his former peers' laughter flood through his mind. But Mr Schue told him it wasn't an inappropriate role for a student.

Well, could be. But then again… was it appropriate for Mr Schue to play _this_ with Rachel (who, too, was a student playing that scene)?

Funny enough, no one else seemed to think about that. When Sam came into the gym Finn struggled with a weigh so he quickly ran to him and helped him.

"Ahh… I had it."

"Yeah, sure", Sam said.

"Where have you been, you're late", Finn asked as he sat up.

"Yeah, sorry, I spaced out… I'm not playing Rocky anymore."

Finn looked at him while Sam said down. "You're kidding! Who is?"

"Mr Schue."

Finn looked bewildered but Sam didn't let him say anything. He had come to the conclusion that it _was_ his fault. He had made too many demands, right? No teacher would voluntarily take a role like that.

"You're in perfect shape, dude", Finn answered to Sam's doubts. He only shook his head.

"Wait. Since I said I'm uncomfortable in the tighty-whities does that mean I'm gonna get replaced?"

"No. Don't worry about that. The Brad part isn't about looking hot. It's about being confident with who you are, no matter how you look, no matter how douchie you are. That guy is totally cool with being uncool." Sam shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm definitively not there. I actually started showering with my shirt on."

"Stop knocking yourself out. Just be you and the sexy will flow through."

"Yeah." Finn nodded and got up. "Yeah, you're right. I don't need to hide behind my muscles like you do."

"Awesome", Sam said while Finn rounded the bench he sat on. Wait… "I think. Are you insulting me?"

Finn didn't stop on his way to the door.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked.

Finn turned around. "To show everyone how hot and sexy I am."

He left the room. Huh, okay…? Sam turned to the mirror and lifted his shirt. Yes, it definitively was his body that Mr Schue found so compelling he had to take the role from Sam. He looked a bit fatter than yesterday. He shouldn't have eaten those Doritos.

* * *

When he came out of his last class that day a guy stepped to him.

"Sam Evans! I heard you look fabulous under that shirt."

"I truly do", Sam said. "Do you want to see my abs?"

Maybe he should start taking money for it.

"Yes! But not now and not like a creep. Do you want to be Mr June on the William-McKinley-High calendar?"

"Oh! Yeah, sure!"

Well, at least one success today, right!?

* * *

On Friday Mr Schue told them the musical was cancelled. (Maybe because Finn had gotten in pretty much trouble for walking half-naked through the halls.) Then Mr Schue talked a lot about some 'when I was younger' crap like old people always did and Sam didn't really listen. He turned around to see Finn's reaction, and the older boy shrugged. Sam also glanced at Rachel sitting beside Finn. No one would ever know she was his first real kiss. Actually sad, wasn't it? Not just so much the not knowing but more the stage thing. Couldn't he get a kiss from someone who really wanted to kiss him, not the character he was playing?

They did one last performance of the show without any viewers in the auditorium. Sam got his role back (though no one ever mentioned the creepiness of what Mr Schue had almost done). This time, Sam was allowed to wear wider shorts and even a golden shirt. And just before his and Rachel's scene started he found himself babbling. He sometimes did that when he was nervous.

"Rachel, since you are a girl, can you tell me what I have to do to get a date?"

"Oh Sam." Rachel laid her hands on her chest and shook her head. "I'm in love with Finn, I'm so sorry."

"No, I meant, any… well, okay, I was thinking about Quinn. You are great, too, of course."

"Well, have you asked her?"

"I meant to but then my duet with Kurt happened and I didn't have any opportunity."

"Oh, yeah. Right, aren't you gay?"

"No! Who said that? It was just one date. I haven't even talked very much to Kurt after last week."

"Wait. A… you went on a date with Kurt?" Rachel seemed surprised.

"Shit. Don't tell anyone."

Sam was just glad when they had to go on the stage. But Rachel was right, he should try making out with Kurt one time.


	3. Never Been Kissed

**Chapter 3**

* * *

**Never Been Kissed**

It wasn't easy being a teenage boy. Sometimes even eye contact with a pretty girl in the hallway made Sam feel all hot in his skin. But that wasn't the worst. No, the worst was that it was exactly the same with boys and apart from the confusion that took hold of Sam when he wondered about what was going on it made him going through his day half-hard.

So when after an exhausting football training Finn took a hot bath Sam asked for ice in his.

"Dude. How to you stand that cold tub?" Finn asked when Sam got into his ice. DAMN wow, it was cold.

But of course Sam shrugged it off.

"I'm used to cold showers" he said. He figured he could tell Finn some of his problems – the girls side at least – so he did.

"Been there, dude", Finn said. "Actually, I'm still there. I have a girlfriend but Rachel won't put out."

"So what do we do?"

Suddenly Finn smirked. "Well, easy. I just think about the opposite of what we're doing. When I make out with Rachel and it gets too hot… I think about that time I ran over the mailman."

Sam stared at Finn. That was a bit disturbing… just a bit.

"I never actually almost killed a civil servant before", he said.

Finn waggled his head. "Well, you have to find something that's your own buzz kill. You know, something that is totally not hot."

And when Finn and Sam turned around to their screaming Coach Sam knew what his buzz kill thought was.

* * *

It felt like having a secret weapon. Sam was unstoppable now that he wasn't a slave to his sex drive anymore. That plus his experiences at Kennedy Academy moving further away with every day he was able to gather his courage the next day and go to Kurt as he stood as his locker.

"So, what about a second date?"

Kurt jerked around and held a hand to his chest.

"Geez, do you have to creep up on me like that?"

"I gave you time enough to think about it", Sam stated, ignoring the fact that he had been the one in need of thinking and also the one being frightened to death.

"So what do you say? Tonight Breadstix again?"

Kurt watched him for a few moments.

"No. We go to your place."

"My place?" Sam hoped his voice didn't sound as weak as his legs felt all of a sudden.

"Is there a problem?"

"No, no, totally not."

"Great." Kurt smiled and walked away. He didn't come far though because out of nowhere Karofsky shuffled him against the lockers. The football player looked threateningly at Kurt but when Sam arrived he was already gone.

Sam helped Kurt get up.

"He is such an ass", Sam said.

"Oh, that was nothing." Kurt arranged his clothes but wouldn't give Sam more information when he asked for it.

* * *

Later at home Sam was nervous for more than one reason. For one, he had a date. Second, it was with a boy and the problem here was not the gender itself but Sam didn't know why he was doing it. And if he should tell anyone. No, he'd wait until after this night. Maybe after he had kissed Kurt (and they would kiss, right?) he realised he didn't like boys that way and could go on with being totally straight.

The third problem was that Kurt would come here. How should he explain his mother they didn't want to be disturbed? Especially when she knew that Kurt was the gay one.

"Uhm… Mum? I'm having a friend over tonight. That's okay, right?"

"Is it a girl?" His mother put some plates in the dishwasher while Sam went to the fridge and took a drink.

"No. It's a boy. I told you about him, his name is Kurt."

He poured Seven-Up in a glass and closed the fridge. Only when he turned around again did he realise his mother had stopped her work and looked at him.

"Maybe I should formulate my question differently: Is it a date?"

Sam choked and spit out the soda.

"What?" he said while he wiped over his mouth. "How… Why would you even…"

"Sam, I'm you mother. Is it?"

"You're totally crazy, that's what you are! Tsk! Unbelievable, I mean… I'm not…"

Sam dabbed the spilled soda on the floor and threw away the kitchen paper. His face felt as hot as if he was standing under a spotlight. And he kind of was since his mother still looked at him. She didn't seem furious or disgusted, though.

"Yeah, okay, it is", he heard himself saying. He preferred to look at the floor, though.

"Okay."

After a while the noises of cutlery being put away were to be heard and Sam dared to look up.

"What, don't you have something to say about it?"

"Well, what do you want to hear?"

"Uh… how about… _Why?_"

"Why should I ask you why? It's not like you can choose it. Plus I've seen the way you looked at Aidan back in Tennessee."

"I'm not gay!" Sam exclaimed. Now, that sounded kind of childish in his ears but he wasn't. He hadn't decided to be so he wasn't.

"I also like girls. I haven't picked one side yet."

His mother dried her hands with a towel and sighed. Eventually she turned to him.

"I was hoping school would take over the education but… it's time we have the talk, isn't it?"

"NO!"

"Come on, let's get it over with. Sit down." She gestured to the table. Sam clenched his fingers around his glass and didn't move.

"Fine, then don't sit." His mother crossed her arms. "In your age it's totally normal to feel certain urges. You talked in school about that, did you?"

"I don't even know what you're talking about. I have no urges."

His mother nodded. "Sure. So if you want to have sex you need to know all about it. Girls can get pregnant, so use condoms. Boys can transfer diseases, well, girls can do that too, so always use a condom. No matter how much you think you love the person. If someone pressures you into anything you don't want to do, don't do it. Don't feel ashamed for protecting your own safety and feelings. It's also normal to be confused about everything in your age. Some teenagers want to experiment with both genders, others don't feel that curiosity at all. They are either straight and or clearly gay. But what matters most is that everything is okay. Even to like both, boys and girls, that's called bisexuality and you don't need to be ashamed."

"You already said that", Sam mumbled. Was it over, could he go?

"Don't pressure yourself into picking one gender."

"Okay."

His mother lifted his eyebrows. "Questions?"

Sam shook his head. Honestly, who asked question during 'the talk'? He could just as well google it later.

His mother sighed. "See, that wasn't too bad. You can always ask me or your farther if you need to know something."

He nodded. "Sure, I will do that. Can I go now?"

He could. In his room he fell down on his bed face in the pillows and tried not to think of what had just happened. Okay. Breathe. Well, that was hard with a pillow in his face. He turned his head and stared at window.

Bisexuality. Huh.

Sam pulled out his phone and opened the browser.

* * *

One hour later he was on his bed again, his mouth attached to Kurt's, who was lying on him. He didn't ask any questions right now, he just wanted to feel. It was different to Rachel last week because it was private. Kurt _personally_ wanted this. So cool!

But apart from that it didn't feel different, it was warm and soft and made Sam shiver. The longer it went on the more of those shivers happened and eventually it got too hot. Sam didn't want to do too much on the first date, though. He didn't even want Kurt to know it had reached certain downstairs parts.

Sam thought of what Finn had said, and then of Coach Beiste. Fumbling with her pants. Yeah, okay, it worked, he cooled off and was ready for more snogging only.

Kurt kissed along Sam's neck.

"Say my name", he mumbled, his hands rubbing over Sam's chest. "Say my name, Sam."

His breath in Sam's ear made things too hot again. Coach Beiste in a Cheerios uniform, carrying pompoms.

"I said, say my name!"

"Beiste."

Kurt stopped kissing while Sam held his eyes closed. This was working so good, this Beiste thing!

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked.

Sam opened his eyes. "Huh? Yeah, I could do this for hours." He couldn't help a little proud grin. Tomorrow he'd thank Finn for his perfect idea, that much was sure!

* * *

The next day the boys from Glee club were in the choir room, exchanging ideas about their songs. Well, Kurt put up boards and had prepared a whole speech and Sam tried to listen, he really did. He even had his guitar with him as a sign of support. But he didn't get why they had to sing a girl's song in Glee club. And he didn't get all that fancy stuff and fashion Kurt was into.

Eventually Puck (yeah, back from juvie) got up to take a football that lay on the table next to Sam. He said something to Kurt but Sam got distracted by Puck throwing the football to Finn. Puck was kind of hot. Like, manly hot. Sam got that Kurt was the gay one and thus was into girl stuff but… No, wait, Sam didn't get it. If he wanted girly things he'd turn to girls, right? If he wanted something manly under his hands, that's what boys were for. But what was the sense in it if all the gay boys were into girl things?

Aaand the confusion was back.

"And you? Didn't feel any need to say something?" Kurt's voice pulled Sam back to reality. He looked around, seeing that all others had left the room.

"Sorry, I spaced out. You were saying?" Sam said.

Kurt sighed and continued putting away his boards. "Puck said it as a joke but I'll do it."

"Do what?"

"Take a look at the Warblers. Our competition. Do you want to come with me?"

Sam opened and closed his mouth. Why would they do that?

"Is that… legal?"

"I just want to take a look", Kurt said. "I'm curious about how an all-boys boarding school is."

"Not as good as you think", Sam mumbled. He got up and started to walk out. Kurt followed him, though, sounding upset all of a sudden.

"Sam, I don't know what I should think! First you say another person's name while you are kissing me and now you don't even support me in the slightest."

Sam reached his locker and opened it to get a book.

"Is there something going on between you and Beiste?" Kurt asked.

"_What?_ She is my Coach!"

"Exactly! She is a woman in a position of power over you, which can be exciting!"

Sam had started to walk away and Kurt went after him – seriously making a scene? Over Beiste?

Sam turned around. "I'm not cheating on you with my football coach!"

Damn, he had spoken way too loud. He glanced around and quickly took a step towards Kurt, lowering his voice.

"Look, can we talk about this in private?"

"Why, am I embarrassing you?"

"It's not what you think."

"What I think is that you're a horny boy, getting it wherever you can, including the locker room with the Beiste."

"What's this?"

Of course Coach Beiste had to pass them in that very moment, of course. Shit.

"I leave you two", Kurt said. "I have a mission to fulfil."

He turned around and Sam was thinking about running away, too, but then Mr Schue and Mike came by and things got a little crazy. It all ended with Mike and Sam sitting in the choir room getting a lecture from Mr Schue about how Coach Beiste didn't deserve a treatment like that.

Seemed like Sam had to find a new buzz kill. Damn.

* * *

On the next day the girls sang their Rock'n Roll number. They all looked smoking hot and Sam didn't know where he should look but during the performance he found himself focusing mostly on Rachel and Quinn. How hot would it be to have a threesome with them?!

Sam might have drooled over girls but he hadn't gone blind. He sat next to Kurt who checked his phone during the performance. Sam leaned back just a little bit to see what he was doing (that was justified and not spying or anything).

"Who's Blaine?" Sam asked.

Kurt quickly put his phone away. "No one. Well, someone I met yesterday. I tell you later."

Sam frowned. But then the girls came to the viewers and Sam let it go, watching the finale. Right after that Mr Schue dismissed them because he had an appointment with Coach Sue so they all strolled out.

"Yesterday when I went to Dalton they… they knew I wasn't one of them", Kurt said.

"You tried to be one of them?" Sam asked when they went out of the choir room.

"Yes, but Blaine knew right away I was lying. And then he told me about their no bullying policy. That's really great to hear about, I mean, with all that stuff with Karofsky going on…"

"Okay, first of all, you still haven't told me what this is about. What is he doing to you and why?"

"He's just a mean bully, that's why! You have seen what. He threatens me all the time."

"And second, you talk about that Blaine guy as if you were best friends already. You've met him only yesterday, right?"

"Right. So?" Kurt shrugged. He looked at Sam from the side. "Are you jealous?"

Sam didn't know what he was supposed to say. He was but he didn't want to let it on. After all they were not officially going out. Then again, if he said no Kurt would think he had lost interest and run all the more to other boys.

But Kurt shook his head and went away before Sam had thought of an answer.

* * *

It was Thursday when Mr Schue told them Coach Beiste had quit because of what Sam, Finn and Mike (and his girlfriend Tina, let's not talk about that) had done to her. How had she found out? Mr Schue didn't mention that but he said he wanted them to apologize.

Then they were dismissed early again because Mr Schue had to accompany Puck to the principal.

Rachel made a big scene about this buzz kill thing while Finn hurried to assure her he only used his mailman memory. Meanwhile Kurt, who had been on the edge all day, got up.

"I can't sit here. I mean, I'm sorry, Sam, for accusing you of… you know. But I… I have to go."

"Wait! Where…"

Kurt stormed out and Sam looked around. Great, now they were all staring at him. But he didn't care and ran after Kurt. He walked pretty fast down the halls and Sam caught up with him thanks to the perfect shape he was in. That's right, he had eaten good and worked out enough all week long!

"What is going on, Kurt? Has something happened?"

"Yes. Karofsky, he… did something. I can't talk to you about it."

"Why not? I thought we were friends."

Actually, Sam had thought they were more than friends but right now he watched Kurt running out the front doors and right into the arms of another, unknown boy. Wait, he actually let himself be hugged by him… what?

Sam crossed his arms as he stepped to them. The strange boy wore a school uniform so he probably was that Dalton boy Kurt had talked about. But what on holy earth was he doing _here?_

Sam glared at him.

"Sam, this is Blaine…" Kurt mumbled. Blaine stretched out his hand but Sam didn't take it.

"Okay, so why is he here?"

"Kurt told me about what Karofsky did", Blaine said. "I'm here to mediate."

"Oh, so you skip school to help a boy you know since yesterday, just like that? A boy who has friends here nonetheless", Sam said with a look at Kurt, who sighed.

"Sam, I don't want to tell you because… it was really… I'd rather not think about it."

Sam felt his arm muscles tensing. "So you tell a stranger? That doesn't solve the problem, Kurt! I thought we trust each other, you know? But alright, great. Go on, have secrets."

"Don't be mad", Blaine said. "Kurt has his reasons."

"Keep out of it!" Sam said and at this point he deserved all the credit for not punching the Dalton boy. He simply glared at him, then at Kurt and turned around.

A few minutes later he was in the locker room and lifted weights. There was no better way to let off steam, honestly.


	4. The Substitute, Furt, Special Education

Hey! So... uhm if this story is really bad could someone please tell me? Or is Hevans the thing nobody is really excited about? Anyway! I had fun writing it, yeah, even the Hevans xD :D

**Chapter 4**

Friday and the weekend were catastrophic. On Friday they sang Coach Beiste a song as an apology (it worked, she stayed) but Kurt didn't apologise to Sam and left school without talking to him.

**The Substitute**

Monday started just as bad. Mr Schue was sick and Rachel tried to take over Glee club. Sam didn't even know why they were all still sitting there like good students while no teacher was in the room and when Rachel went to the board, wrote 'ME' on it and started talking Santana freaked out.

They (meaning everybody but Rachel) decided to let it go and not have Glee club this week. Then, during lunch Sam saw Kurt with Mercedes in line for the food and he quickly joined them.

"We forget all about it tonight at bowling", Mercedes just said to Kurt.

Uhu! They went bowling. Sam wanted to ask if he could join when –

"I can't. Blaine asked me to hang out", Kurt said.

"But I've been looking forward to it", Mercedes said. "Wait, are you two going out? Because –"

"Yes, Kurt, are you?" Sam interrupted her. If the answer was yes he'd be pretty angry again. Kurt could at least have given him the heads up first.

"No, oh please." Kurt sounded bored enough. Sam raised his eyebrows but Mercedes simply talked on.

"I'd be happy for you. I mean we know how lonely you've been."

Oh, did they know?

"We're just hanging out", Kurt repeated. "Nothing but Glee club ever comes up. It's just nice to have someone to talk to."

He avoided Sam's eyes and turned around to go to a table. Sam – as well as Mercedes – followed him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" they asked together. Mercedes looked at Sam a little bewildered, probably wondering why he was so upset. And she had every right to since no one in Glee club knew. But what was there to talk about, anyway, if Kurt rather spent his time with Blaine?

"It means someone like me. But I'll make it up to you", Kurt said – looking at Mercedes. Sam didn't sit down and crossed his arms.

Mercedes eyes fell on a woman who brought Tater Tods and she went to the counter. Finally Kurt looked up.

"Just tell me where we stand", Sam said while sitting down now. "I don't know why you don't talk to me anymore. What's so special about Blaine? I mean he came out of nowhere and all of a sudden he's your new boyfriend?"

"We never were boyfriends", Kurt said.

The lump in Sam's throat got thicker. He couldn't breathe but he talked on nonetheless.

"So that's it, then?"

Kurt shrugged. "I don't know. I can talk to Blaine. We share interests. With you, I can never really talk, you're all about sports and lifting weights or movies I haven't heard of and when I talk about things that I like you don't listen."

"I do listen to you!"

"Yeah?" Kurt crossed his arms. "What is my favourite colour?"

"That's unfair, you can't ask me things you never mentioned before."

"Last week I talked one hour about how I don't have a favourite colour but prefer variety!"

Sam pointed at him. "See! You didn't mention a colour."

Kurt sighed, picked at his foot and shook his head.

"Didn't you want to date Quinn, anyhow? I'm setting you free."

"Wow. How gracious", Sam snorted. He got up, bit his lip to not cry right here, right now and went through the rest of the day kind of numb. No, wait, the rest of the week. Coach – pardon, Principal Sue tried to cancel the football club but it didn't work since her cheerleaders needed people to cheer for. Then Mrs Holliday, their Glee substitute, and Rachel did a performance in very short sexy red dresses and Sam wasn't even really enthusiastic about it. (He acknowledged Mrs Holliday was hot but it still didn't break his trance).

**Furt**

One week later Sam was in a better mood. He had worked out more than usual – it helped him think. He had decided two things. First: He needed to get back his quarterback position on the football team that he had lost a few weeks ago when his shoulder had been dislocated. Finn said he hadn't taken him for the type who cared about being popular but, honestly? Who didn't?

The second goal was getting Kurt back. That wasn't hopeless because Kurt only had 'set him free' because he thought Sam wanted to date Quinn. And also from what Sam had heard Kurt and the Dalton boy weren't dating so nothing was too late yet. And Sam got the best idea ever even: He'd give him a promise ring!

Kurt was so excited about the marriage of his Dad to Finn's mother and talked about how he had planned weddings since he was five. And Sam wanted to get married one day, too. The promise ring was an idea he had planned for Quinn, back in the beginning, but thinking about Quinn was kind of out of the run now. He had thought all weekend about what he would do if he had to decide between her and Kurt and well… The dies have been cast!

"So. What did you want to talk about in private?" Kurt asked when they entered the Astronomy room.

Sam had the perfect speech in his mind. He went to the star models hanging from the ceiling and pointed at them.

"These galactic mobils aren't the stars of McKinley. We are. Well, at least I want us to be."

Kurt's expression was either amused or delighted (Sam hoped the latter). Sam took a deep breath.

"I think I love you."

Kurt tore open his eyes, just like Sam had expected. Those were big words, he knew it. And no, he wasn't sure but he had thought a lot about Kurt lately. What else could it be if not love?

He put out his box with the ring and got down on one knee in front of Kurt, opening the box.

"Oh my God", Kurt uttered. And then he stared, hands in front of his mouth. "Are you… proposing? We've known each other only for a few weeks, and we're not even dating and…"

"I wanna marry you. Some day. But until then… will you accept this promise ring? It will symbolise my promise to you to be true, never pressure you to do anything and always listen to all of your problems. Or not, if you don't want to talk about it, but I will be there for you." Sam got up. "I promise to make you feel proud when you point down the hall and say that dude is my boyfriend. I promise to do all of those things without ever trying to sound like Matthew McConaughey."

Kurt chuckled and finally put his hands down.

"Pointing down the hall? You'd be out?"

Sam puckered his lips. That was the hardest part of his plan, but yes. He could do that. His parents both had said they were okay if he was with Kurt. Finn, Puck, Mike and Artie had proven to be opened minded about gay dudes, too. Granted, the bullies were still there. But when Sam would be quarterback again, and popular, they'd be less threatening.

So he nodded and kneeled again.

"I really care about you, Kurt. I want you to be my official boyfriend."

Sam gulped while Kurt didn't say anything. Now or never.

And then Kurt closed the box in Sam's hand. Okay. Sam was prepared for anything but he still had a hard time keeping it together.

"Is that a no?"

"I have to think about it", Kurt said. He left the room and Sam took a deep breath. Nothing was decided yet. And that was even worse than a clear no.

* * *

The next day news about Kurt being bullied more and more upset the whole Glee club. Sam wondered if it had to do with him. No one had seen them, right? But if they had they'd be after him, too.

He was changing after football practise when Mike and Artie confronted Karofsky and asked him to back off of Kurt.

"If he wants to be a homo, that's up to him. Just don't rub it in my face", Karofsky said.

"We're done talking about that, so back off", Mike said.

Karofsky shoved Mike so hard he fell down on Artie and took his wheelchair with them, too. Before Sam knew what he was doing he attacked Karofsky. He didn't know what exactly the jock had done to Kurt but it had to stop now. All gay bullying had to stop for that matter.

Karofsky shoved Sam against the lockers, and Sam hit his leg. After some wrestling Sam returned the shove against the lockers and Karofsky screamed. While Sam was focusing on fighting it still was pleasing to hear. But then a fist hit him right in the face and made him fall down on the floor. Karofsky was over him, ready to beat him up but luckily Coach Beiste came in then and separated them.

* * *

Who would have guessed getting into fights made one popular, too. Mike and Artie stated what a hero Sam was and Quinn actually held a cooling unit to his face. All the attention felt really good. Just that Kurt sat quietly in the corner and didn't say anything wasn't that great.

But when Santana and Mercedes blamed Finn for not having been there Kurt eventually jumped in.

"Lay off Finn, everyone. It isn't his problem. It's none of your problems, actually." He looked at the boys. "Thank you for what you did. Especially Sam."

A bunch of butterflies was let lose in his stomach and despite his hurting eyes Sam had to smile. Now he had proven to be a trustworthy ally against Karofsky, right?

Still, Sam didn't hear back from Kurt for some days. The wedding of his and Finn's parents happened. It was a beautiful wedding and it made Sam wonder if he ever got to find that special someone, too. Someone who would complete him, would love him for just the way he was. He hadn't thought very often about his future but weddings tended to have that effect. Maybe one day it would be him and Kurt in front of an altar. Or someone else completely. A girl? A boy? Who knew.

* * *

The day after the wedding Kurt was late to Glee club and when he came, he stood in front of the group.

"First I wanted to thank everyone for what you did at my Dad's wedding. Especially Finn. It's nice to know that I have great friends here, as well as a true brother. Which is why it's so hard for me to leave."

Wait… what? Sam stiffened in his seat.

"What do you mean, leave?"

"I'm transferring to Dalton Academy. Immediately. My parents are using their money they have saved up for their honey moon to pay for the tuition."

His eyes had been watery for some time and Sam's would have been, too, if he hadn't been so angry.

"What the hell, dude, how about you talk with me about this, first?"

Not few faces turned to Sam but he didn't care now. Sooner or later they'd have known anyway.

"I'm sorry, Sam, but there is nothing to talk about. Karofsky is coming back tomorrow, so that means I won't be."

"We can protect you", Sam said.

Everybody agreed but Kurt insisted on everything being enforced. Mercedes and Finn got up and wanted to talk to him but Kurt, his voice telling them he'd cry soon, shook his head and left the room.

It was silent while everybody dealt with their shocks. The clock ticked on for many seconds until Sam jumped up and ran after Kurt.

Kurt turned around when he heard Sam's approaching in the empty hallway and wiped away his tears. When Sam had reached him he stopped and didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry, Sam", Kurt said again. "I haven't forgotten about your request but I seriously couldn't think about it. About anything else than Karofsky. He threatened my life."

"He – what? Whoa, that's heavy, even for him."

Kurt nodded. "Because he forced a kiss on me and didn't want me to tell anyone and…"

He sniffled and wiped away more tears.

Sam clenched his fists.

"You should've told me, I'd have beaten him up even more", he said.

"Sam…" Kurt took a deep breath. "I'm also sorry I talked more to Blaine than to you about it. It's just, he's dealt with the exact same stuff already so I figured he's a good help for me to get through it."

"I would've been there for you if you told me. I still would be, if you want to."

Kurt nodded. "I know."

He opened his bag and took something out. Sam's promise ring. Sam watched in disbelieve how Kurt put it on his own finger and then smiled at him.

"How did you get that?" Sam asked.

"Oh, I asked Quinn for help breaking into your locker", Kurt said. "I'm transferring but I'm not moving out of Lima, so…"

He shrugged, and Sam felt the biggest smile creeping on his face. When Kurt turned around to continue leaving the school, Sam jumped up a little and mumbled "Yes".

He'd better not let his Glee friends see the big smile on his face after hearing the news of Kurt leaving though.

**Special Education**

The week to Sectionals. Since they were short a member and Puck got sent out to find a new one. That, and Mr Schue had a weird change of heart and very spontaneously changed the set list. (Sometimes Sam wondered whether their teacher was taking drugs.)

And then Kurt. Having a boyfriend was weird. Having a boyfriend who went to an all-boys boarding school and whose best buddy there was another gay guy (who, if Sam was informed right, was single) was even weirder.

Not that Blaine was any competition for Sam. Nah. But still. He'd better watch out.

"And I got the lead duet! With Quinn", Sam said one afternoon as they were hanging out in Kurt's room.

"How come? Was Rachel furious?" Kurt asked.

"You bet she was. I don't know, all of a sudden Mr Schue talked about making changes." Sam shrugged.

"So you'd be singing a love song with Quinn?" Blaine asked.

Sam sighed. "Tell me again why he's here?"

"Because he lives here, honey", Kurt said, eyes rolling.

He got up and went to the bathroom. The dorms at Dalton were much more luxury than at Sam's old school where he had to go out and walk like three miles to find the next bathroom. And here they had one in every room. And the rooms weren't made for six people, but two.

Which brought them to the next topic.

"Okay, but why again do you two share a room?" Sam called so that Kurt could hear him in the bathroom, where he had left the door open, ignoring Blaine who sat on his desk and made homework. Or pretended to, because he threw in his commentary now and then.

"Because he is my official mentor", Kurt called back.

"Huh. You don't say."

"You have nothing to fear", Blaine said with his ever soothing voice. "And for the room, I was living alone until now. Nobody got kicked out."

"So, why do I have nothing to fear? Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, but I'm not the type of person who goes after other people's boyfriends. And I have my eyes on somebody, so maybe soon I'll have a boyfriend."

"Not Kurt, is it?"

"For heaven's sake, Sam", Kurt said as he came out again. "I didn't take you for the jealous type. I'm sorry, Blaine. Next time I'll go to his house."

"Did you just apologise for me?" Sam asked.

"That'd be a good idea, regarding the fact that Sam is a member of the New Directions and people could think he is spying", Blaine said.

"I am not spying."

"I said, people could think it."

"Okay." Kurt clapped his hands. "Lay off now, both of you. To break the ice we could play truth or dare!"

Sam laid back on Kurt's bed, folded his arms behind in his neck and watched the ceiling.

"No, it's okay. I'm not going to say anything to Blaine ever again, that will solve the problem."

"But I want you to get along with each other!"

"Tsk."

"Just let it go, Kurt", Blaine said. "It's not possible to be friends with everyone you meet."

And another clever saying. The most annoying thing about Blaine was that he was always right and oh-so-peaceful. You just wanted to punch him in the face but if you did you were the bad guy.

Later Sam kissed Kurt goodbye. Of course they had kissed before but boyfriend kisses were different. They were cute and sweet and Sam couldn't get enough of them, and that was a proof that he seriously and deeply loved Kurt, right?

Back home Stevie and Stacey were already sleeping so Sam quietly went to the living room, telling his parents he was back. His Dad had been in a bad mood lately and didn't look up while his mother nodded to him.

* * *

The next day Rachel walked into the choir room with a tape over her mouth. She took it off though to tell Mr Schue how she was protesting against the silencing of her talents. And then it happened. Mr Schue shouted at her. It was frightening, really. Luckily he calmed down and told them they would congratulate Kurt and the Warblers if they'd win at Sectionals.

"Dude, where have you been?" Artie asked when Puck walked in.

"I found him in a port-a-potty", the girl accompanying him said. It was Lauren Zizzes and she apparently was Kurt's replacement now. Sam secretly texted Kurt the news. About Lauren as well as the fact that Karofsky had locked Puck in a port-a-potty. He needed to be updated.

Kurt texted back he'd come over later because he wanted to talk to Rachel to get her help with an audition for a solo or something.

That's why later that day Sam spied on Karofsky until he had left the school for good and texted Kurt that it was safe now.

"Thank you so much. I wouldn't come here if it wasn't important but I have the chance of getting a solo on Sectionals!" Kurt hastily explained as he hurried to the doors.

"No problem."

"Will you be waiting or…?"

"I would but I need to practise my duet with Quinn", Sam said. Oh irony of the fate, now he had to bail on Kurt because of Quinn.

"But we'll see each other Friday at the Sectionals, right?"

"Yes, we will." Kurt smiled at him and ran off into the school.

* * *

Sam didn't see Kurt before the performance, only when the Warblers were on stage. He cheered for his boyfriend, of course, even though he didn't lead the group. Blaine did, and while Sam tried to stop cheering every time Blaine sang he couldn't help but noticing that he had a really great voice. But yeah, why else would he be captain of the Warblers. Just… did he have to look to Kurt so often, man?

Later in the green room he watched a whole new level of drama. Different couples in Glee fought. Artie and Brittany, because Artie thought Brittany cheated on him with Mike, and Mike's girlfriend Tina wasn't thrilled about that, either. Finn and Rachel were fighting (or broken up? Who knew with them) although Rachel had enough potential to be the queen of all the drama even without lover's quarrels. It took another speech of Mr Schue until they all decided for being a team and getting along with each other.

The Hipsters (an old people Glee club! WTF?) came in third. And then… nobody won. Both the New Directions and the Warblers were going to Regionals. Sam was genuinely glad about that and he was the first one who went over to the 'enemies' and congratulated Kurt with a big hug. Of course Blaine couldn't hold back from joining them.

"Congratulations to you, too", he beamed at Sam. "You were great."

"Thanks. You, too."

"This is the best day, ever!" Kurt shouted. More people from the New Directions mixed together with the Warblers. And Kurt was right. It was a pretty good day.


	5. VeryGleeChristmas, Sue Sylvester Shuffle

Ah thank you guys so much for the feedback! It's really nice to hear from you.^^

**Chapter 5**

**A Very Glee Christmas**

One week later the Glee club got together all on their own – without Mr Schue – and put up a Christmas tree. They also put empty presents under it and sang while decorating, it truly was a holy afternoon.

Until Mr Schue came in and got all worked up about how Christmas wasn't about presents, that is. If you asked Sam, he just was pissed because Finn had found a bigger tree than he had.

Well, anyway, they were carolling in classes this day. Something with collecting money for the homeless.

Until the teacher threw a shoe at them, that is.

Luckily Sam had Kurt to whine to. They were at his house to enjoy some quality time. And it's not like Sam didn't like making out, of course he did, but after a few minutes his mind started to wander back to school. Strange enough.

"And then Artie told us Brittany still believes in Santa Clause, can you believe that?"

"Mh." Kurt nibbled on Sam's ear.

"So we went to the Christmas fair and sat on Santa's lap. All of us. Santana freaked out, I tell you." Sam grinned at the memory. Kurt drove his mouth down Sam's neck. Since the Santa story didn't seem to interest him Sam shrugged and let his hand wander over his side. He wondered if he could dare go a little further than usual so he very carefully glided down.

Kurt pushed his hand away. Sam sighed. It could have worked. He hadn't found a new buzz kill so he didn't know what to do. He also hadn't gotten back his quarterback position.

"What are you thinking about?" Kurt whispered into his ear.

Damn, that question was never easy to answer. Although, coming to think of it, there was only one correct answer to it so maybe it was easy after all.

"You."

"What about me?"

Okay, clearly not easy.

"You're beautiful. And such a good singer" Sam said.

"I sang with Blaine today."

Ooh. Talk about buzz kills.

Sam pulled back and looked at Kurt. "What?"

"He asked me to help him practise a song. So what?"

"What song?"

Kurt sighed. He rolled from Sam and laid a hand on his chest, tapping against it.

"Baby, it's cold outside?"

"You sing romantic songs with Blaine? And don't think it's worth telling me?"

"But I just told you!"

Sam turned his back to him.

"How come you're mad now? I swear nothing was or is going on! Here, I call Blaine and he can tell you personally!"

"No, it's okay", Sam said. "I believe you. I just… I don't know. Wish you wouldn't just run around and sing with people."

"My life goal is singing with people."

"You know what I mean."

"Okay." Kurt got up and rounded the bed, pulling at Sam's hand until he got up, too.

"How about we are going to sing a romantic Christmas duet right now?"

First Sam shrugged but then it actually sounded like a good plan.

"A good idea, it is", he said in his Yoda voice.

Kurt threw him a look while he went to the music player.

"That was Star Wars", Sam said.

"Oh. Haven't seen it."

Sam laughed and Kurt turned his head to him.

"What?"

"That was funny."

"It wasn't a joke. My, what kind of music do you have? Where are the Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel CDs? Did you lock them away for safety?"

"You haven't seen Star Wars? Man, that's like you haven't seen Harry Potter! Who does that?"

"Oh, I have seen Harry Potter. Well, the first movie. It got a bit boring at the end."

Sam stared at Kurt's head. Was this a joke? Did on this earth really people exist who didn't like those movies? What were they supposed to watch together then?

Kurt rumbled through Sam's CDs but he didn't care and sat back on the bed.

"What's your favourite movie?" Sam asked.

Kurt sighed. "Is this really important now? Where is –"

"Yes, it is! In case you didn't notice I like movies."

"Okay, okay! I guess… Pretty Woman."

Sam frowned. Sounded like a lame movie.

"Or Funny Girl. Or, no, no, wait! I got it. Breakfast at Tiffany's!"

Sam shook his head. "So you don't watch normal movies but old stuff no one cares about?"

"It's called a classic! And if I'm not too mistaken Star Wars is old, too."

"That's different!"

Sam couldn't believe his boyfriend was a movie ignoramus. And he also never wanted to talk about football. Suddenly Sam remembered what he had thought about girly boys a few weeks ago. How he didn't get it. And it was still true, he didn't understand Kurt in the slightest. But what did that mean? Was that good for a relationship or not?

* * *

On the next day Sam, Mike, Puck and Artie went to Coach Beiste to solve the Brittany problem. They needed someone to play Santa and tell her it wasn't possible to make Artie's leg work again for Christmas.

"That doesn't sound like Santa", Beiste said.

"You can tell her the elves are working on it", Sam suggested. "Elves have awesome core blood stem cell researches but these advances are a few years away."

Sam got that from a Star Wars book – well, except the things with the elves. But it was proven one more that Star Wars could save the day because Beiste nodded and agreed to do it. Yes!

And then the next day brought them all down. Someone cut down their tree overnight, and all presents under it including the little money they were able to collect for the homeless children. So they went to sing for the teachers – and it wasn't even that bad. They all gave money!

* * *

On Christmas Eve Sam was busy decorating Mr Schue's tree – don't ask (but if you really must know Coach Sue asked really nicely and since it was Christmas they all agreed to help her). But he couldn't concentrate and left early.

Twenty minutes later he parked in front of Dalton Academy. It was a majestic castle and Sam wouldn't have been surprised if he had found it snowed over it and only over it. It was cold enough for it.

In the entrance hall stood a super big Christmas tree, and lights and everything. It was great but Sam walked by without stopping. He knew the way to Kurt's room. Should he have called first? He didn't want to come over like a suspicious boyfriend who made surprise visits in order to see what their lover was doing without them. That really wasn't his intention. He believed Kurt when he said nothing was going on with Blaine. (He didn't know if he believed Blaine when he said the same but that didn't matter.) But they had parted in not the best mood and since it was Christmas (yes, still) Sam wanted to put it behind them and make up.

But when he knocked on the door no one answered. When he looked into it was empty. So either Kurt was in one of the common rooms or he already had gone home for the holidays. (Shit, Sam should have asked about his location first.)

The halls were empty, it was kind of scary. Sam went to the next common room he knew and poked his head in. A handful of students were here, playing chess, listening to music and chatting. None of them was Kurt. Sam sighed. He was so stupid, he shouldn't have come here.

"Hey, Sam! What are you doing here?"

Blaine came to him with a startled expression. "Kurt has gone home right after school today."

"Right. I knew that", Sam said.

Blaine frowned but still looked amused. "So why did you come? Wanted to wish me a Merry Christmas?"

"Haha! He told me to get some things. I'm on my way out already."

He turned around. He knew Blaine didn't believe him but who cared. And no, Sam would not use the opportunity to ask some questions. He trusted Kurt, he really did. (But he didn't trust Blaine!)

"Merry Christmas to you, though", Blaine called after Sam. Oh God, now he needed to answer, didn't he? Or else things between them would get even worse and Kurt would make a fuss about it.

So Sam turned around and faked a smile. "Thanks. To you, too."

"Do you want a hot chocolate before you go back into the cold out there?"

"Uhm…" Sam scratched his neck. "I better not… Kurt is waiting for me."

Yes, perfect excuse.

"Okay, then better not keep him waiting." Blaine smiled. Sometimes he was too damn friendly. No, always. It didn't feel sincere, Sam thought. He didn't like people who could smile all the time as if they really meant it but actually didn't mean it. And Blaine couldn't mean it. He was in school on Christmas Eve instead of home with his family and who would smile about that?

Sam was almost tempted to stay and find out why Blaine wasn't with his family. But then again, who cared? Maybe Kurt could fill him in. So Sam nodded at Blaine and turned around again, this time to leave the school and drive home.

**The Sue Sylvester Shuffle**

In the New Year Mr Schue had his worst idea yet. He and Beiste conspired and made the rest of the football team – the evil ones, the Karofsky side – join the Glee club. It was a catastrophe and Sam was stressed out. Though in the middle of the week, when Zombie camp started, things got a bit better. Sam had always wanted to be a Zombie. How cool was that!?

"Sam?"

Sam turned around from his locker, shutting it. Finn stood there in leather man jacket. Not that Sam didn't wear his because this week was all about the Championship game and being good sports with the whole football team.

"Are you sleeping with my brother?" Finn asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Are. You. Sleeping with my brother?"

Sam frowned. He didn't know how Finn had found out (though maybe the fact that Kurt had been at Sam's on Christmas had been a clue) but he also wouldn't deny it. It was about time he came out. (At least in Glee club.)

"If that is your way of asking if I'm dating Kurt then yes, I am. Why, do you have a problem with that?"

"I only have a problem with doing it behind my back! It never came to your mind of telling me?"

"It's none of your business, isn't it?"

"It is, because, as I said, Kurt is my brother."

"Exactly! Your brother, not your boyfriend!"

"Watch your tone, man."

Sam lifted his eyebrows. If Finn wanted to fight he had no problem with it. In fact he almost wanted it. As tensed as things had been this week he could actually use some bashing around.

But before something could happen Mr Schue stepped between them and told them to go to the auditorium where they performed a song in full Zombie make up.

* * *

When Sam was clean again he went with Rachel and Mercedes to the Lima Bean where they met with Kurt and Blaine. Now Finn knew but Sam still hadn't told everybody in Glee club so he wasn't sure how he should behave. Would it be okay if he just kissed Kurt? Mercedes and Kurt were best friends, so she probably knew already, right? And Rachel… well, she wouldn't care at all.

So what. When they met outside Sam leaned to Kurt and pressed his lips against him, getting a surprised sound of his boyfriend.

"About time, Sam", Mercedes said, applauding. Blaine grinned and patted Kurt's shoulder.

"Wait, what is happening?" Rachel asked. "I thought you wanted to date Quinn, Sam?"

"Oh my God, that has been ages ago!"

"But you told me you're not gay."

"I never said that."

"Yes! When we did Rocky Horror."

"Huh… I don't remember. Anyway, well, I'm bi."

"Wait, what?" Now it was Kurt's turn to look astonished. "Why would you say that?"

"Because… I am?" Sam said.

"Bisexual is a phrase people use to hide. You just came out, you don't need that anymore!"

"Uhm…" Sam didn't know what to say. His mother had told him bisexuality was a thing, the internet said it, too and of course Sam's feelings told him it very certainly did exist.

"Let's go in, it's freezing", Mercedes said. She and Rachel went in, followed by the boys.

"Who told you that?" Blaine asked while they walked to the counter. "Bisexuality does exist."

"No, it doesn't." Kurt shook his head and fastened his speed to catch up with the girls. Blaine threw Sam an empathetic look.

"He'll come round."

Sam simply nodded. Luckily they soon reached their friends so Sam didn't have to make conversation or anything. Kurt had ordered for the both of them and gave out the drinks.

"Now, I don't want to sound cocky or anything but you guys better be pulling in all the stops for Regionals because the number we just rehearsed is so off the hook. It's dangerous", Blaine said while they went to a table and sat down.

"Seriously. People should wear protective headgear when they're watching it", Kurt said. Sam pulled a chair and sat down at the end of the table between Mercedes and Kurt. The conversation soon turned to McKinley's football team problems. They were short eight members because the Karofsky side had backed out. Typical.

"Well, the good news is you actually only need four more guys", Blaine said. "High school regulations let you play a couple of guys short if you want to."

Everybody had to process that. The girls exchanged a curious look, Kurt looked at Blaine with a look that screamed '_ah interesting, let's change the subject'_ and Sam leaned a bit forward. Wait a minute. Blaine knew stuff about football? But he was gay…?

"But if they figure out a way to make it work you can bet that we will definitively be there to cheer'em on!" Blaine smiled and drank from his coffee.

"Totally", Kurt said. "Blaine and I love football. Well, Blaine loves football. I love scarfs."

Blaine laughed while Kurt turned to Sam.

"And you, of course. We'll be there on Friday", he nodded.

"If we find a way", Sam sighed.

"Oh, I think we might" Rachel said. But she wouldn't say more. She and Mercedes seemed to have a telepathic conversation and Sam really wanted to be able to do that, too. It was cool. Not cooler than being a Zombie, of course.

* * *

The next day Sam got to know what they had been up to. The girls wanted to join the football team! And after they had explained their tactic of lying down and let the guys do the winning it actually made sense.

So they did it. The first halftime on Friday while Karofsky and his crew sat in the audience the Glee girls went with them on the field. Sam spotted his parents in the audience and Kurt, too. What a great, supportive boyfriend he had! Didn't matter that he didn't like Star Wars, thought bisexuality didn't exist and tended to fall asleep whenever Sam mentioned any kind of sports. They loved each other and that was all that mattered!

But then Tina broke the rule of not playing. She grabbed the ball and ran. Of course she got tackled by the other team. She was okay but it made Finn go crazy. He made Sam quarterback for the rest of the half (how gracious!) and told Puck to get Karofsky back on the team.

"Where are you going?" Rachel, who stood with them, asked.

"We can't have a halftime show without cheerleaders" Finn said and ran away.

"Very mysteriously, I like it", Sam pulled an impressed face.

"Except that I don't get it. Of course we can", Rachel said. She looked a teensy-weensy bit hot with those black stripes under her eyes and in the uniform. But not hot enough to make Sam leave Kurt. She also looked hurt but they had no time now to talk about how she hated that Finn just ran off the field to get Quinn to come back.

"We're so going to rock this", Puck stated.

Sam put his helm back on and rubbed his hands together.

"Okay. Let's go!"

The quarterback from the other team was hot, too. Sam had already noticed it in the beginning but now he was McKinley's quarterback and stood opposite to him it got more obvious. Not that he got distracted from it. Sam could handle all his urges. Well, most of the time.

Then came the halftime show and the Karofsky gang actually danced with them. It was the coolest thing ever because they all looked scary, pretended to be walking dead and the audience applauded wildly. It was the motivation they needed (well, that and the extra players) to win this game.


	6. Silly Love Songs, Comeback

**Silly Love Songs**

Valentine's Day. Oh God. Christmas had been difficult, but this? It would be catastrophically. What on earth could Sam give Kurt? It had to be awesome, and not to mention it would be the best Valentine's Day _ever!_

That was what Sam thought until they once again went to the Lima Bean. It kind of had become a thing. Same with Blaine accompanying them. Well, he and Kurt went to the same school and were good friends and all but… hello, quality time as a couple?

"Okay, I'm all for flair but this Valentine decorations are just tacky. I mean, what are the hell is this supposed to be?"

While they were waiting in line Kurt took a hearty pillow with two kissing dogs on it. All around them everything was full of red hearts, too. It was like Christmas, only better. Sam was a bit distracted by the sheer amount of decorations around him.

"It's clearly puppy love", Blaine said and took the pillow out of Kurt's hands. "It's cute. Come on."

Kurt took the pillow back. "It's a simple excuse to sell candy and greeting cards on a holiday."

Sam actually turned his attention to the conversation and laid an arm around Kurt's shoulders.

"And I always thought only people without a boyfriend didn't like Valentine's Day", he said.

"It's not true, anyway. People have been celebrating Valentine's Day for centuries. And, call me a hopeless romantic, but it's my favourite holiday", Blaine said.

Sam grinned. "Who do you want to serenade?"

They took a step forward.

"Well, there is this guy that I sort of like. I've only known him for a little while but I wanna tell him that I think my feelings are starting to change into something… deeper. Do you think it's too much to sing to somebody on Valentine's Day?"

"Not at all", Sam said while Kurt continued rolling his eyes.

It was on times like that when Sam thought Blaine wasn't that bad a guy. But mostly he did something in the very next moment to redeem everything. For example now he simply ordered Kurt and Sam's coffee and then paid for it.

Yes, yes. Sounded nice. But the fact was Sam didn't _want_ this. He wanted to pay for Kurt's coffee, that's what boyfriends were for! And Blaine smiled so smug about it that Sam really had to restrain from punching him. After all it was a nice gesture – and again, that was just Blaine's way of tricking people into liking him. Oh, I did something for you, love me! Tsk.

* * *

Of course, in Glee club the topic of the week was Love. Mr Schue even drew a big red heart on the board. Then Finn announced his great idea to set up a kissing booth. (Sam would not get in line, by the way.)

After Glee Sam walked up to Finn.

"So, are we good?"

"What? Oh, yeah. I'm sorry for yelling at you… I mean yeah, you should have told me earlier but Kurt's guilty as well. And he told me to not lash out on you."

"Oh. And about the whole gay thing?"

"What about it?"

"I thought you'd be surprised or anything."

Finn thought about it for a second, then shrugged. "Nah, not really. If you excuse me now, I have to set up a kissing booth to win Quinn back."

He winked and walked away. When Sam turned around, Rachel stood in front of his nose.

"What did he say?"

"Whoa, do you have to creep up on me like that?"

"Did he say he does it to win me back?"

Sam started walking to his locker and Rachel followed him.

"Not quite, no."

"Then what? I desperately need to know everything Finn had said so I might reconstruct his thoughts and be able to tell if he still has feelings for me."

"Well, let's see." Sam opened his locker and took his Geography book. "He said he wants to win Quinn back."

"Oh. What else?"

"That was it."

"Are you sure? Did he maybe say something between the lines? Did he pull a weird face indicating Quinn forces him to do that and hinting that he wants you to save him from her?"

"… No. He did wink, though."

"Oh, that's it! That's the clue! I knew it! Now I will give him a late Christmas gift!" Rachel's face lightened up and she stormed away. Sam scratched his head. He didn't quite get her logic. But then again he didn't need to so he forgot it and went to class.

* * *

On Wednesday Kurt texted Sam he couldn't meet him because he had to comfort Blaine. They had sung to his crush and he had been turned down A-style. Sam didn't really feel sorry for him. He felt however a tiny thing called '_why can't he get comforted by somebody else?_'

But already on the next day he knew how Blaine must've felt.

"Sam, we need to talk", Kurt said as soon as they entered Sam's room.

"Oh, oh. Did I do something wrong?"

"No, not at all. You were the perfect gentleman all the time. But I realised… I can't do this anymore."

"Do what? Like, meeting here? It's okay, we can meet at Dalton again."

Kurt looked empathetically at him.

"No, Sam. Us. It just doesn't fit. Don't you see it, too? We're too different."

Sam bit his lip and gulped down all upcoming feelings as strongly as he could.

"Do you love Blaine?"

Kurt sighed and looked at his feet. He still stood there with his bag over his shoulder. Sam preferred to sit right now so he went to the bed.

"It's true I think he is cute. But only since recently. When I told you before there is nothing going on I didn't lie. And Blaine doesn't know, so please don't hate him more than you already do."

Sam snorted. Next time he saw that guy he would surely punch him but right now all he could do was shake his head.

Then Kurt came to him and gave him back his promise ring.

"You held all your promises, I'm the one breaking it", he said.

Sam took it without realising what he was doing.

"You break up with me one day before Valentine's Day?" he said.

"I'm truly sorry, Sam."

He lifted his hand as if he wanted to stroke over Sam's hair but he hesitated and then took a step back.

"I'm so sorry", he said again, before he turned around and left the room.

So Sam was dateless on Valentine's Day. He nonetheless went to Breadstix and watched the show. He knew it was stupid but he couldn't help it. He sat in the back and watched the Warblers perform. Kurt and Blaine singing together. We they actually together now, too? How could things change so fast?

Confetti all around them. Santana sat there on her own, too. Rachel and Mercedes didn't have a boyfriend either but they didn't seem unhappy. In fact they smiled. Sam would have joined his friends but they sat too close to the front. Too close to Kurt. It hurt just looking at him. Sam had known it would hurt like hell and he still had come. Stupid idea. He was glad when the song ended and he could leave. Outside he closed his jacket and took a deep breath.

"Sam?"

Oh no, he couldn't be serious. Sam puckered his lips, took another breath (this time for support) and turned to face Blaine.

"Fuck off!"

Blaine stopped in his tracks and looked honestly astonished.

"What?"

"Oh, don't play innocent. You might be good in acting and convincing everybody you're America's Gay Sweetheart or whatever but I see right through you. You're an attention whore and I hope you're happy now. But I tell you, it won't last. Soon you'll get bored with Kurt and search for another couple you can break up."

"Sam, I'm… _shattered_ you think that of me. I had nothing to do with your break-up and I wouldn't… I came after you to say how sorry I am."

"Yeah, save it."

Sam turned around and quickly went away before he'd do something he'd regret.

**Comeback**

How to win the heart of a boy back? Sam's Dad always said there were two ways to get a woman to love you (and Sam figured it was the same with a man): Take them hunting, and Rock'n Roll.

So Sam founded a cool boy band.

Admittedly, he was the only member in the Bieber-Experience but that didn't matter. What mattered was that he was _good_. He'd practise at McKinley and then would go over to Dalton's and sing to Kurt in front of the whole school (and more important in front of Blaine's eyes) and they would kiss and everything would be good again.

First he rehearsed in front of some bar-mitzvah kids and it worked perfectly. As soon as Sam started to sing the girls freaked out and ran him over.

Heads up, Kurt Hummel, you're about to be hit head on with a full blond Bieber!

In Glee club Mr Schue revealed (after forcing them to put up with Sue Sylvester as a guest member for the week but Sam didn't pay attention to any of the teacher's craziness anymore) that Regionals this year had a theme: Anthems!

"An anthem is an epic song filled with a groundswell of emotion that somehow seems bigger than itself, even bigger than the person performing it!" Mr Schue said.

Okay, not that was just uncanny. Exactly what Sam's new band was about! He raised his hand.

"Mr Schue!"

He got up while Mr Schue said: "Oh, hey Sam, I didn't even notice your new haircut."

(Sam had just combed his hair differently but no one needed to know that.)

"Yeah! I've been working on a new way to manage my new one man band: The Justin Bieber Experience!"

Some people commended on that although no one had asked them.

"You've got to be kidding me", Quinn mumbled.

"Dude, that haircut makes your mouth seem even bigger!" Puke said with an awed look on his face.

"Sh! Let her speak!" Sue said in all sincerity, while several others just laughed.

"Laugh all you want but that kid is an epic … and there's a number I've been working on and I want to show off. I think it qualifies as an anthem because…" Sam turned to speak to Mr Schue. "It's hugely emotional and sums up our generation."

And then he performed '_Baby_' in front of the whole Glee club, especially watching the reaction of the girls. He'd have watched the boys, too, but no one of them was gay and therefor receptive for the Bieber charm. He let Brittany touch his hair and saw that Santana fanned herself, so yeah, it worked even on girls that were older than thirteen! Great!

"I gotta get that girl on the Cheerios", Sue said as if speaking to herself.

"I heard that", Sam said. He put his hoodie and grinned. Yup. He was so ready to get his boyfriend back.

After Glee he headed to the bathroom to care for his new haircut.

"We want in", a voice said.

Sam turned around. "In on what?"

Puck, Mike and Artie were standing/sitting there, looking all serious.

"The Justin Bieber experience", Artie said. "We want in the band."

"But it's a one man band", Sam explained.

They said how they had underestimated the power of the Bieber and needed something to get their girlfriends attention back.

"Okay… I'll let you in but you have to be clear that we first will serenade Kurt. In front of a bunch of other dudes", Sam said. "Are you okay with that?"

"I'd do anything to get into Lauren's enormous pants", Puck said.

"Good. Okay then. Now we just have to figure out what to do with your hair." Sam watched the boys almost empty head, it was such a shame.

When they had set up a time to meet after school Sam went to his locker. He wasn't surprised when one of the Glee girls came up to him (honestly he suspected they _all_ had the hots for him after his performance – maybe except for Brittany, Tina and Lauren who after all were his friends girlfriends) but he was somewhat astonished it was Santana.

"Sammy Evans! You're Bieber-licious. How are things with you and Kurt going?"

"Fine", Sam said as uninterested as he could. He secretly checked her out, though, because she had boobs and that was something Sam still was curious about.

"No, they're not. You and I should… talk soon", she said very provocative and walked away.

Right. Yeah, not gonna happen.

* * *

Sam changed his plans of performing at Dalton to the Lima Bean because that's most likely where Kurt was after school.

And Sam was right. There he sat, laughing with his friends. At least he and Blaine weren't alone here but that didn't mean anything.

Sam and his friends performed _'Somebody to love_' and earned a lot of applause. It actually worked a little too well because other girls and guys were looking at all of them with very much affection but… you know… the attention felt good nonetheless.

"So… that was a great performance" Kurt said afterwards.

"I'm sexy and you know it", Sam said.

Kurt smiled. He threw a glance over his shoulder to where Blaine was chatting with Mike and then leaned to Sam for a kiss on the cheek.

Yes! Sam made a victory gesture when Kurt walked away. Seem's like he was back in the game, baby!

* * *

"This morning I woke up and decided to swallow the sun", Sam said with his James Jones voice. He didn't know what else to say since Santana had just sat down on his table in the library without asking for permission when Sam had finally decided to please his dyslexia counsellor and _learn_.

She didn't get it, so Sam added a Star Wars impression and then smiled to himself about it. He hadn't done that in a long time, any impression actually. He was so busy with Kurt, who wasn't that interested in impressions.

Santana wasn't either. She told him every time he did it he got one step closer to people realising that he was the biggest dork ever. Then she offered him her 'services' as a mistress.

Oh wow, he hadn't seen this coming.

"I'm getting back with Kurt soon."

"Are you? Because from what I saw he and that Hobbit Warbler seemed pretty close."

"When did you _ever_ see that?"

"I followed you yesterday and watched your pathetic try to win him back. He's playing with you, don't you see it? Consider my offer. Not only I will grant your access to the twins that live on my ribcage…" She looked at her boobs, so Sam did, too. When where girls ever so easy to get? Where was the hook?

"But also you show Kurt and what's-his-name Dalton boy that they can't push you around. That you're not their toy, that you actually have some buzz going on."

She got up and left Sam alone with his thoughts.

Was it hopeless to try to win Kurt back? Where he and Blaine laughing about Sam behind his back? Blaine was a bad influence so maybe Kurt was like him now. And Kurt hadn't called or texted after yesterday. Maybe the kiss on the cheek had been meant as a goodbye kiss?

Sam needed to know, so after school he drove to Dalton Academy and went right to Kurt's room. And no, he didn't knock, he just opened the door and went in.

Kurt and Blaine were sitting on one of the beds, very close to each other and talking. Not kissing or anything but looking at each other affectionately and it was enough for Sam's pent up aggression to burst out. Before they even knew what was happening he had grabbed Blaine's collar, pulled him up and pushed him against the wall.

Of course Kurt screamed in the background while Blaine just stared at Sam with the biggest eyes ever. For a long moment Sam didn't do anything, his frustration fighting with his consciousness that constantly tried to tell him it wasn't Blaine's fault. But it was. Everything was.

"Sam, let go of him!" Kurt pulled on Sam's arm and Sam loosened his grip. Alright, okay. He stepped back and inhaled, still glaring at Blaine.

"What is your problem, man?" Blaine asked as he smoothed out his collar.

"_You_ are my problem", Sam said.

"You know, I tried to be nice despite your obvious hostility. What have I ever done to you, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing, except _stealing my boyfriend!?_ But apart from that, nothing."

"I didn't steal anyone! You are illusionary!"

Sam snorted.

"Sam, please", Kurt said. Finally Sam turned to him, and the older boy looked so pitiful at him it broke Sam's heart once again.

"I'm just here to say goodbye", he quickly said. He wasn't the pathetic boy who chased his boyfriend even after two shove offs.

"Are you sure about that?" Blaine asked but Sam simply ignored him now.

"I mean, yes, I tried to win you back but I guess there's no sense in that. If you want to move on, do it. I'm not standing in your way. In fact I already have someone new, too."

Or almost, well, Kurt didn't need to know the details.

"Who?" Kurt wanted to know.

"Santana. So yeah." Sam shrugged.

"Santana – is a girl." Kurt looked a bit smitten.

"Yeah, so? I told you I'm bi."

Sam gathered his courage and dignity together, nodded at Kurt and walked to the door. He didn't close it when he went out so he didn't have to look back.


	7. Blame It On TheAlcohol,Sexy,OriginalSong

Screw it I'm gonna spam you now.

**Blame It On The Alcohol**

Dating Santana was easy because it wasn't about love. None of them ever even tried to make the other believe it. They met a few times to make out, then Santana ditched Sam many times in favour of Brittany. He wasn't mad. First, he kind of envied her for having a close best friend like that. Second, he didn't miss her or anything. He was glad when she was there so he didn't have to be alone and think too much about Kurt but when she wasn't Sam either found other distractions or allowed himself a few tears, which was fine, too, as long as no one saw it.

Oh yeah, one of the advantages of Santana was that she told him what he had to do and not to do when he wanted to be cool. For example: No talking Navi ever. No impressions or movie references. Talking about football was allowed but not with too much passion.

One Sunday night they went to Rachel's house. Her Dads were away and Puck had succeeded at talking her into throwing a party. The house was huge and fancy. The party was in the basement though, where everything was tidy. On the bar counter stood some weird orange bottles Sam wouldn't touch.

Almost everybody was there but the party was lame. No music, no real booze. Santana sat on Sam's lap and but he didn't feel excited about that, he just wondered why he had come. He could've stayed home and read a comic. Since Kurt didn't come over anymore he had a lot more time for his hobbies, so, yeah, that was good, right?

The doorbell rang.

"Oh, that must be Finn. He's the last one missing", Rachel said and jumped up.

When she came back, Finn was with her, alright. But Kurt and Blaine were, too. Sam stiffened and immediately turned to Santana. He practically felt Kurt's eyes on him, so he kissed her.

Yup, that's how you avoided awkward situations with your ex!

Artie, Brittany, Mike and Tina started to leave already and Sam couldn't blame them. He was close to leaving, too. Not only because of Kurt, of course. But then Puck talked to Rachel and was allowed to break into her Dads' liquor cabinet, and also someone turned on music and suddenly it wasn't so bad anymore.

Sam danced and totally didn't think of Kurt until Rachel out of nowhere jumped to him and dragged him to people who were sitting on the floor.

"Spin the bottle, we're playing spin the bottle!" she cried.

"Cool, man", Sam said. When he sat down next to her he realised that Kurt sat on her other side. And next to Kurt, right opposite to Sam sat Blaine, throwing him a glance Sam couldn't quite interpret. Maybe he was afraid of getting beaten up. But honestly, Sam was over that, it was sooo last week.

That plus he was drunk and didn't want to beat people up.

Brittany, Artie, Finn, Mercedes, Lauren, Tina, Mike and Puck were also in the circle. Santana wasn't so Sam was allowed to make out with whoever the bottle would point at. And if it would land on Kurt, so be it.

"You as our special guest may spin the bottle first, Blaine", Rachel said.

Blaine giggled and pushed the bottle. Sam bit his lip, silently praying to Thor that it wouldn't land on Kurt. He couldn't deal with a kiss of them both. He could handle everything but that. If it actually would happen that would be a sign from Thor to Sam that he should go home and continue reading the comic about him instead of partying with his friends.

It didn't point at Kurt, alright.

It pointed at Sam.

Rachel screamed the loudest, though the others weren't exactly quiet, too. Sam was shocked for a second, as was Kurt. Blaine on the other hand didn't seem to be. He got on his knees and waved Sam to come to him.

"Just a reminder", Santana called from the background. "I own that guppy mouth. It belongs to me, just so you know."

Well, uhm. Okay. Sam got up. It couldn't be that bad, right? He was drunk. He liked kissing people. And maybe Blaine and Kurt hadn't kissed yet so Sam would get a little revenge… or something like that?

Sam put his hand in Blaine's hair and they kissed for a few moments (for one second there Sam really had to restrain himself from biting Blaine as a late payback) until Santana got all worked up about it and tore them apart.

"Whoooo, party! Now it's my turn!" Rachel called and pushed the bottle. It landed on Blaine. While they kissed Sam looked at Kurt, who still seemed shocked that everybody got to kiss Blaine.

Afterwards Rachel was in love with Blaine. She pulled him up and to the stage where they sang together. Sam dared to glide to Kurt. Just a talk between two friends.

"So… uhm… are you two –"

"You kissed Blaine", Kurt stated. "All this time you did nothing but bitch about him and now you kissed him before I even had the slightest opportunity!"

"Well, Rachel did, too. Drunk party kisses don't count, anyway", Sam said.

Kurt stared at Sam. Then he sighed. "So you're not mad anymore? Can we be friends again?"

Sam drank a sip before answering. And then he shook his head, he actually did.

"I mean, yeah I'm not mad anymore but… it's too early for being friends."

"Okay. I respect that" Kurt said with a nod. He sighed again and fixated his eyes on Blaine and Rachel, and Sam went back to Santana to finally get Blaine's taste off his lips.

* * *

The next day they all wore sunglasses to school. Sam had the worst headache ever. And yet he accepted when Artie offered him a Bloody Mary. After all, a hangover could be cured best by drinking more.

They sang about alcohol while being drunk and Mr Schue didn't even realise it. Ha! So they did it again at the end of the week in front of the whole school. But Brittany vomited on Rachel this time. Mr Schue wasn't amused and wanted them to not drink at all at least until Regionals were over.

Well. Sam didn't have the biggest problem with that since he could think of more amusing things anyway. He didn't tell Santana that, of course, and complained along with everybody else. No one ever had to know he was a dork. Or, even worse, a nerd even.

* * *

On Friday Sam agreed to Rachel's proposal to go to the Lima Bean and she told him all about her date with Blaine.

"Wait! Blaine… uhm, the guy from Kurt's school? Who was at your party?"

"Yes, that Blaine! We kissed and I asked him out."

"And he agreed?"

"You sound like Kurt! Yes, he agreed. Some people are not sure about their sexuality, Sam, and they need to find out. He could be bisexual, right?"

"That's not why I'm astonished. I was thinking he and Kurt dated", Sam said.

"Oh, no. I mean, Kurt wants to but Blaine sees him as a friend only."

"Huh. Guess I did do him wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Uhm… I kind of… almost punched him and accused him of having stolen my boyfriend."

"You need to apologise, obviously. Soon enough he'll be _my_ boyfriend and I don't want any of my friends hate on my boyfriend."

"So you're over Finn, like, for real?"

"Yes! Silly!" Rachel shook her head. They entered the café. Rachel fastened her step to hurry to Kurt, who sat at a table for two, and took the chair opposite to him. Sam weakly waved him and got in line.

About two seconds later Blaine walked in. He saw Sam and hesitated before he came to him.

"Hey." Sam guessed if he talked normal it was the best sign he wouldn't attack him again.

"Hi."

"The party was great, wasn't it?" Blaine said at the same time Sam started to speak. "So last week…"

They looked at each other, and Blaine laughed awkwardly.

"Listen, I wanted to apologise", Sam said. "I got it all wrong. I blamed you for everything, that was pretty unfair."

"You thought I was drooling over your boyfriend, you had reason enough to be angry."

"Why are _you_ never angry? I wasn't nice to you even once."

Blaine shrugged. "I'm a sucker for harmony. Sometimes it's not the best characteristic, I know, but… oh, hey, Rachel!"

Rachel came towards them and went right for Blaine's mouth. Sam tore open his eyes with a surprised grin. Oh wow, Rachel really went for whatever she wanted, didn't she?

When it ended she expectantly looked at him while Blaine nodded to himself.

"Yup. I'm gay. One hundred per cent gay. Thank you so much for clearing that up for me, Rachel. Listen, would you mind saving my spot for me, I gotta hit the restroom."

Rachel stared after him. Sam chuckled at her expression but then he glanced over his shoulder. That was a weird storm off from Blaine, there. And… if somebody came out of the blue and kissed Sam without asking, he'd not smile and thank them. If it had been a few weeks before Sam would've gotten all wound up over Blaine's overfriendly behaviour but right now he wondered if maybe he couldn't help himself. If he always suppressed any anger or bad feelings because that's how he had been brought up or something.

"That was hard, wasn't it?" Kurt had come to them and talked to Rachel.

"Save my spot, too, would you?" Sam said although neither Rachel nor Kurt took notice of him.

Sam didn't really know what he did and more so, why. He and Blaine weren't friends, he didn't need to care about him.

The restroom wasn't empty and Sam didn't see Blaine. So he went for a piss. When he washed his hands the two boys went out and Sam dared to look around.

"Blaine, are you here?"

Sam listened and started to wonder if Blaine had run away. But then a stall door opened and Blaine came out.

"The truth is, I'm bad at romance, Sam", he said.

"So you hide away?"

"I know!" Blaine sighed and came to the sink, on that he put his bag. He looked at himself in the mirror.

"How could I tell from one kiss with a girl whether I'm bi or not? Doubts like that aren't over after one day."

"You just need to make experiences", Sam said. "I was confused, too. But my parents encouraged me to try things."

Blaine looked at him in the mirror. "They did?"

"Yeah." Sam shrugged. "Yours don't?"

Blaine looked down and washed his hands. He dried them with a paper, threw it away and drove over his hair while saying: "It was pretty clear I like boys from an early age and my father tried to talk me out of it."

"Oh. I'm sorry, dude."

Blaine shrugged. He took his bag and turned to Sam, smiling like always and ready to go. But Sam didn't move. So he had been right, his always friendly acting was a coping mechanism.

"So, what now? Are you trying to be bi to please your father or are you trying to not be bi to rebel against him?"

"Woah, there! That's pretty personal, isn't it?"

It was. Damn. Sam shook it off and left the bathroom. He had his faults, too, alright, and it included getting too personal too fast with people he didn't even like.

**Sexy**

Brittany was pregnant. At least that's what everybody thought on Monday until Glee club where she revealed she knew it because a stork had built a nest on her garage roof. Mr Schue was upset about her lack of sexual knowledge so he brought Holy Holliday back for sex education. In musical form, of course.

Regionals were only one week away but Mr Schue chose to do that, okay-dokey.

Santana didn't talk to Sam more than she had before they had started going out and it kind of felt like they were through. Sam wondered about it but he didn't want to ask because she could get mean when she had gotten up with the wrong foot, and that happened on six days of the week.

His thoughts and feelings about Kurt had calmed down, too. All of a sudden Sam saw it really hadn't been the best relationship. But that threw him right back into confusion, this time a romantic one: Where and how was he supposed to find love, real, true, everlasting love?

On Wednesday Santana and Brittany sang a song together and hugged afterwards. It made Sam's heart all warm and fuzzy.

"Pretty cool our girlfriends are such good friends, right?" he said to Artie. "I wish you and I were that close."

It was true. Sometimes he just wanted a best friend, someone he could talk to about everything and who wouldn't laugh at him. Maybe someone who he could do cool stuff with, like watching movies (but the good ones) or joke around. He could do that with sometimes with the other boys in Glee but he wanted something closer. He also had hoped to find that with Kurt but that had turned out different in the end.

Sam spend one hour in the Celibacy Club and listened to Rachel's declaration that one day they all would find true love and would want to get intimate and it should be something special. Sam glanced at Santana beside him (who in turn glanced at Brittany and Artie) and all of a sudden just wanted to break up with her. It was neither special nor really intimate with her. Most of the times she insulted him, anyway.

**Original Song**

Santana took it to a whole new level the next week she presented her original song in Glee club. It was about him, alright, but it was called '_Trouty Mouth'_ and she went on and on about his lips. One insult after the other. Sam's mood worsened with every word.

When she sang about him swallowing a baby's head he had enough and jumped up.

"Okay, can we stop? Stop with the mouth jokes!"

"Sit down! I'm not finished!"

"Yes, you are! Mr Schue, we're not doing a song at Regionals called '_Trouty Mouth_'!"

Mr Schue got up.

"I have to agree with Sam on this one. But such a good first effort! I just don't think it got the epic feelings we need for Regionals."

Finally Mr Schue did something right! Sam sad down again and stroked over his lips. Were they really that big? Kurt had never complained or said anything.

Eventually they got their shit together, wrote a song anti Sue Sylvester and headed to Regionals a few days later. Of course the Warblers were there, too, but this time Sam had no reason to go and talk to them. He and Kurt hadn't talked in a while. And he didn't mind. But when he and Blaine sang their song together, two lead singers, Sam got jealous nonetheless. They were together now, weren't they?

After the New Directions had sung and won and they all went behind the stage Sam inconspicuously walked behind Kurt and Blaine. They weren't good spirited, of course, and they didn't give any signs whether they were a couple or not. And he couldn't just ask, Kurt would think he'd still want him back and hate Blaine. Well, the latter might be true. Although, not really. He didn't _hate_ him. They had made up, more or less, but they also weren't best friends all of a sudden.

"Sam." Kurt had discovered him. Not difficult since he stood a few steps away from them while all other members of his club had gone away to celebrate already.

Kurt hugged him. "Congratulations! How are you?"

Blaine shook Sam's hand with a gracious smile.

"I'm good. Yeah. Still with Santana, you know…" Damn, why did he say that? Now it seemed like he had to rub it under Kurt's nose to feel self-secure. Well, he did, but…

Kurt sighed, Blaine nodded along. None of them said '_oh by the way, we're a couple now'_.

"And how are you?" Sam asked.

"Oh, good, good", Kurt assured him. This was getting awkward due to Sam not leaving.

"A little sad that we lost but we'll survive", Blaine said. He used '_we'_ all the time. So that meant… they were, right?

"Sam!" Santana called.

Sam sighed. It was no use to it, he had to wait until they decided to reveal it on their own terms.


	8. Night Of Neglect, Born This Way

**Night Of Neglect**

Things at home weren't the best, too. Sam's Dad had been in a bad mood for weeks after coming home from work and it got worse. Sam asked his mother about it and she told him that people didn't treat him very well there.

And then, one day after Sam came home from school, his parents sat him and his siblings down.

"Okay, this isn't gonna be pleasant", his mother said. His Dad stood there with arms crossed and a stern expression.

"Your Dad lost his jobs. They tried to bully him out and when he refused to they simply fired him. He got a paying off but we'll need to save this for the following months and we…" She took a deep breath. "We're going to have to move out."

"But Muuuum", Stacie said. Stevie didn't understand, too, and Mary took them out of the room.

Sam didn't know what to say. This was horrible. Everything was going wrong in his life!

"I'm sorry, son", Dwight said. "There are hard times ahead of us. But I'm trying to find another job as fast as possible, I promise you that."

So there was that. And in school they had no money for Glee club, too, because Sue Sylvester had hid it or something. Sam had a hard time listening because he was busy wondering where he and his family would life now. They were looking for smaller houses or even apartments but before they had found one things got even worse.

When Sam came home from school, well, he didn't have a home anymore. People from the bank had heard about Dwight's job loss and had come to take the house back since he couldn't pay the mortgage anymore. On paper it still had been theirs.

So they went to a motel. A freaking motel. One small room for five people. It was humiliating. People in school could never, ever find out.

They were busy planning a Night Of Neglect benefit concert anyway, and dealing with old enemies. Sam managed to pass as average mooded. Well, he avoided Santana but she didn't care anyway and if she would ask he'd explain it with still being mad about that '_Trouty Mouth'_ song. Not talking to her gave Sam enough time to look for a job himself, and that's how he ended up working in '_Joey's Pizza_ _House'_.

Working turned out not too bad. It gave Sam an excuse to stay out of that motel room where he actually had to share a bed with his siblings. And it gave him an opportunity to get to know new people. The owner's son, Marco, was cute but Sam didn't get to talk to him very much seeing that Sam's task was delivering pizzas.

And then came the night he had to deliver a pizza to Dalton Academy. Of course.

He pulled his Uniform's hat so far down as possible and hoped he wouldn't meet anyone he knew. It could work since he only knew two people from Dalton that would recognise him.

"I have a pizza" Sam said at the reception.

The woman sighed. "They are not supposed to order fast food."

What could Sam do? He shrugged and the woman asked who ordered the pizza so she could call him down and give him a lecture.

Sam looked at the order receipt. "Anderson."

Wow, there must be a thousand students with that name, why wouldn't they give a first name? But that surely wasn't Sam's problem. He was told to wait while the woman called the student.

"He'll be here in five minutes", ahe then said and gestured Sam to sit down on some heavy chairs. While he did he wondered if he had to do Smalltalk now. But she tipped in her computer and Sam figured he'd better not disturb her work.

After a few minutes she sighed heavily.

"Anderson, why is it always you?"

"I'm sorry Mrs Winchester, I can't help it. I get hungry at night" the student coming down the big stairs said with a big grin. Sam pulled down his hat because – of course, damn his _fucking_ luck – it was Blaine.

"This is the last time", Mrs Winchester warned him. He promised it was and came to where Sam was sitting. He quickly stood up and gave him the pizza carton, then said with a disguised voice: "Eight fifty."

Blaine handed him a ten dollar bill. "Keep the change."

"Thank you, Sir."

"Sir?" Blaine chuckled. "I'm a sixteen year old boy."

Sam nodded and turned around. He just wanted to breath in a sigh of relieve when suddenly…

"Sam? Is that you?"

"No", Sam said. "It's not!"

Blaine grasped his arm and made him turn around, a questioning look on his face.

"I didn't know you were working – on school nights, nonetheless. Are your parents okay with that?"

"I'm actually helping them, it's… it's kind of a situation we have, okay? Please don't tell Kurt about it?"

"Okay", Blaine said. "I won't say anything. But if you need help or anything, you tell me, right?"

Sam frowned, admittedly baffled. "Why? We aren't friends."

"Of course we are. Hey, wait." Blaine put the pizza on the table and put his hand into his trouser pocket. He pulled out another dollar bill and wanted to give it to Sam but Sam didn't take it.

"Come on, Sam. It's just ten bucks."

"Why are you doing this?"

Blaine shrugged. Then he used Sam's confusion to press the bill into his hand.

"I won't take no for an –"

"Blaine, ask him if we can also have some – oh."

Kurt had come running down the stairs and now stopped, staring at Sam with the biggest eyes ever.

Well, yes. That's how Kurt found out because Kurt was more intrusive than Blaine and insisted on getting info's, and to be honest Sam was kind of glad he could talk to somebody. To share his dark secret made it somewhat easier to bear.

* * *

When the night of the benefit came up and Rachel was dealing with Mercedes sudden star allures, Sam snugged out of the room to get some fresh air and alone time. He was walking down the hall when he heard Kurt's voice.

"We'll be there in a minute. I'm just showing Blaine around."

"So cool that you're here", Sam heart Artie say. He walked towards them and saw Artie and Brittany going into the choir room.

"Aw, you miss them", Blaine said to Kurt.

"Hey", Sam said, arriving at them. They turned around to him, Kurt immediately going for a hug.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Karofsky had the best timing ever. The three of them faced him.

"We're here for the benefit. Don't tell me you are going", Kurt said.

"I wouldn't be caught dead", Karofsky said. "I was pumping iron in the gym when the other guys told me you were here, spreading your fairy dust all over the place."

"Would you just give it up!?" Blaine said. "You can life whatever lie you want but don't pretend the four of us don't know what is really going on here."

"You don't know squad, butt boy!" Karofsky said.

Sam and Blaine lashed out at him at the same time but before Karofsky could hit back Santana appeared out of nowhere and went between them.

"Hey, stop!"

"You're really brave with your fist but you're a coward when it comes to the truth", Kurt said to Karofsky who stumbled a few steps back.

"The truth about what?" Santana asked.

"That's none of your business, J-Lo!"

And that was Karofsky's mistake. He should know better than to mess with Santana. She gave him a whole speech about how she would crack his nuts and had razor blades hidden in her hair. You could practically see Karofsky breaking and for the first time ever Sam was actually proud to be Santana's boyfriend.

Karofsky ran away and Santana turned around with a smug expression on her face.

"We could have handled that", Blaine said.

"It was more fun doing it together", Santana said. Her phone buzzed and when she looked at it, her face fell.

"Oh shit!" She started to run to the choir room. "Come on, Trouty!"

Sam sighed. "That's me. See you guys in the auditorium."

Just when Sam had left them behind he realised he didn't bother anymore if they were a couple or not. They were a couple of friends, that's all. And yes… even Blaine.

It turned out that the 600 promised viewers didn't come, and they were facing a lot of other issues that night, too, but eventually Glee club got their happy end.

Well, except Sam. He had to go back to his tiny motel room and then he would acutally have to sell his guitar. Joey had fired him after Sam had spent half the night at Dalton telling Kurt and Blaine everything instead of delivering pizzas and well… Sam really needed the money. It hurt but everything else was already sold. He could play Guitars from Glee club during performances… that would have to do.

**Born This Way**

Dance camp at Glee – until it turned into hospital camp because Finn smacked Rachel. Unintentional, but her nose was broken now.

Sam was also back at being not happy with Santana. She held a speech about how everybody had something they wanted to change about them and used his mouth as an example, saying how she believed he'd been to several doctors asking for a reduction.

He tried to hide it after that but how do you hide your mouth? Then he got distracted because Santana said that Finn would have weird puffy pyramid nipples and Sam had to see that. He sat beside Finn so he carefully pulled away his sweater but Finn pushed his hand away.

Man! Why did everybody hate him?

And why, why didn't he learn his lesson? Later that day when he walked down the hall and saw Santana standing there he approached her with a great Sean Connery impression – for that she gave him a weird look.

But he hadn't planned on talking to her, anyway. Sam went to the sink and drank some water. How could he break up with her without hurting her feelings?

Sam kept thinking about that the whole day, even when they were with some friends in the Lima Bean. Santana didn't seem to listen to the conversation, too. She stared at Artie and Brittany, who were a happy couple, and probably wished she and Sam would be like that, too. But damn… Sam didn't want that.

"We miss you so much", Tina said to Kurt.

"Isn't there any way you can come back to McKinley?" Mercedes asked.

"I told him I would be all for it if it wasn't for Karofsky", Blaine said.

"Wait, what did you just say?" Santana asked.

"Kurt needs to be safe", Blaine said, looking at all of them, and Sam nodded.

"Okay, can we please change the subject?" Kurt asked.

Santana stared into space a few more moments, then she suddenly got up.

"I gotta gay. Go! I gotta go!"

She took her bag and stormed away without any further words. Blaine smiled at her word confusion while Kurt just seemed to wonder what was going on.

"Yeah… she's not so happy", Sam commented. He needed to talk about everything. But with Tina and Mercedes here?

"Why don't you go and talk with her?" Blaine asked. Sam shook his head. He looked at the girls and Kurt, who were talking about some new music video, and leaned closer to Blaine.

"I want to break up with her", he whispered.

"Oh? Why?"

"Because I don't love her, that's why. But I also don't want to hurt her feelings so… what do I do?"

Blaine glanced around and lowered his voice, too.

"Psst, just tell her."

Sam didn't know why he ever had thought that Blaine was arrogant or mean. He had a spark in his eyes that made one want to join in with his smile.

"Like, let her down nicely?"

Blaine nodded. Sam leaned back, thinking about how that would be possible.

* * *

In the middle of the week Karofsky walked right into the choir room. Sam felt his fist clenching just at the sight of him but he was accompanied by the principal and Mr Schue also seemed to be quite enthusiastic about it since he groused at Sam when he said he wanted to punch Karofsky.

And then the two weirdest things like, _ever_, happened.

First: Karofsky apologised. For what he had done to Kurt and all of them.

Second: Karofsky revealed that Santana helped him 'see the light'. And then, after his speech (that Sam didn't believe a word of) Santana actually went down to him and took his hand. And they talked about some shit. Guardian angels or whatever. Sam couldn't believe it. She could have at least told them they were over! He didn't deserve this, her practically leaving him right in front of the Glee club. Everybody knew they had dated and now she said how she was in love with _Karofsky!_

What. The. Hell?

* * *

"Come with me to the school yard!" Mercedes requested the next day.

"Why?" Sam asked.

"You'll see", she smirked. He wasn't in the mood for surprises. His week couldn't get any worse. But he also didn't have the energy to protest so he followed her. They gathered other Glee club members together and when they've reached their destination Mercedes looked at her clock.

"Well, my fellow Glee clubbers, it's noon, which means… It's official!"

"What's official?" Sam asked.

"My transfer!" Out of nowhere Kurt stood there, spreading his arms. "Kurt Hummel is back at McKinley!"

Kurt hugged them all, and it was the first good thing that happened this week. So apparently Karofsky had kept to his word and apologised to Kurt personally, also assuring him that no bullying would go down anymore.

"Let's get ready for Nationals!" Kurt said excitedly. But Mercedes announced another surprise, and then the Warblers came down the stairs, Blaine leading the way.

"Kurt", he said. "Dalton's gonna miss you. You were a great addition to the Warblers and you made us a better team. I'm sad to see you go but we all know this is something you really want. I still have you after school and on the weekends but these guys won't."

He gestured at his fellow Warblers. Sam frowned. '_He had him'_? Now… okay, could someone _please_ tell him if they were a couple or not?

The Warblers started singing '_Somewhere only we know'_. Blaine hopped down the stairs, played the piano and sang to Kurt, who stood right next to Sam. Then every Warbler ever hugged Kurt goodbye, and Finn hugged him welcome, and then Blaine hugged him too, and almost started to cry.

Something about it all made Sam sad. It that was the mood he had been in all week, breaking out now at all those goodbyes.

* * *

During the rest of the week Sam kind of adjusted to motel life, sleeping very bad and not telling anyone in school what was going on. When Santana was missing during the '_Born This Way'_ performance and Artie asked about that, Sam made it (more or less) official.

"She's probably off somewhere making out with Karofsky." Nobody was very happy about that.

"Yeah, he can have her", Sam said.

And that's how he broke up with Santana without hurting her feelings.


	9. Rumours, Prom Queen

**Rumours**

Of course Sam was a girl-magnet, so the next girl asked him out already the week after he had left Santana (and yes, it had been that way round, not the other!). It was Rachel, and she tried to bribe him with chap sticks.

"Since we both are single and I think your lips are cute I was wondering if you'd go to the prom with me."

Wow, her logic was unbeatable.

"As in your date?"

"Yeah!"

"No."

"No… No as in…" She seemed a bit confused.

"As in no prom. I don't think I'm going", he said. He wondered if she had waited until him and Santana were over and secretly had been in love with him all the time. Or, well, since Blaine had rejected her.

"Are you worried that Finn will be jealous?"

Oh, oh, no. She was asking for reasons. No way he'd tell her that he had no money whatsoever for all that date and prom shit. It had been no problem with Santana since they hadn't been on dates for several weeks but prom was a whole kind of different. Girls expected limos, food and maybe even a present! (Especially Rachel would.)

"Look", Sam said. "You're just… not my type."

It was hard hurting people. The look on Rachel's face told him she believed him and before he accidentally told her the real truth he turned to go.

"Hey Rachel… thanks for the lip chap", he said and then went away.

Rejecting two girls in one week… Sam really had become a heartthrob, hadn't he? But damn, he would've liked to go to prom. Only, he seriously couldn't. His father still hadn't found a job, and after Sam had lost his at Joey's he was at the point of taking alms.

Yes. It had come that far. Quinn had discovered his secret. He didn't really know how but last week his parents had taken her to the motel after they had been to church and Sam had babysitted his siblings. She had brought girl clothes and things for Stacey and then been back at the weekend to spend some time with Sam's little sister, who was suffering from the circumstances just like they all did.

But he'd like to have new clothes himself and actually considered taking Kurt's offer of giving him some. They were about the same size so it would fit.

So on the next day Kurt came over with a big bag full of old clothes.

"Thanks, man" Sam said.

"Kurt!" Stacey jumped to Sam's ex and hugged him. Stevie just eyed him from where he was sitting on the bed. His parents were out, looking for yet another job.

Stacey had grown fond of Kurt during the time he'd been at their house often but Stacey grew fond on everybody in no time. She already was in love with Quinn after having met her two times. Girls that age… tsk.

"I can't stay very long, I'm meeting with Blaine later", Kurt said.

"Oh, yeah, are you two dating now?"

Kurt chuckled. "How long have you been dying to ask that?"

"Only since Regionals. So are you?"

Kurt's face got all empathetic.

"Don't freak out, okay?"

"I knew it! I knew it!" Sam said. He had so known it! "I'm not freaking out, I've moved on already. I mean, Rachel asked me out."

"Oh! What? Rachel Berry?"

"Don't act so surprised!"

"I'm just… I had the feeling she isn't over Finn yet."

"Maybe she wants me as her rebound, who knows. Plus I already kissed her during Rocky Horror."

"Yeah, stage kisses don't count, Sam. And spin the bottle kisses neither."

Spin the… Oh. Sam frowned at Kurt.

"Don't tell you got all worked up about that?"

"Blaine kissed you and Rachel in the same night, how would I stay calm?"

"But it resulted in Blaine being Rachel's rebound. Yeah, I think she _is_ over Finn and now truly in love with me."

"Okaaaay, I think I'm going to leave you to your illusions now."

"If you must", Sam said. He went outside and breathed in fresh night air. Kurt quickly said goodbye to Stacey and Stevie, then came out and hugged Sam before he went away. Sam watched him go. Him and Blaine. Blaine and him. It was a strange thought, somehow. Very strange. Kurt had officially moved on… but had Sam? He had had his rebound girlfriend but now what?

* * *

When he saw Rachel the next day in the hallway she smiled very sweetly at him. Sam smiled back but didn't stop to talk. He was glad she wasn't mad but he still felt guilty and also ashamed that he had to stay home when all of his friends were going to prom because he was poor.

And yet another problem occurred from all this shit. Suddenly people were thinking he had an affair with Quinn. Apparently someone saw her leaving his motel room… Oh dear God, one lie really led to another, didn't it?

Glee club was especially crazy this week. Quinn accused Rachel of trying to steal Finn from her. Of course what she didn't know (and Sam didn't tell her when she came over to visit Stacey) was that Rachel actually was in love with Sam.

"Stop it!" Rachel said one afternoon when she came to his locker. It actually was Sam's birthday but no one in the school knew about it because he really, really wasn't in the mood for congratulations and faking a smile.

"Stop what?"

"Kurt is going out with Blaine, would you really want to be the bad guy if they break up if your affair comes out?"

"I'm… what? Kurt and I are over."

"Oh, I have seen you! I talked to Kurt, too, and he didn't deny it!"

Sam shook his head, put his book into his locker and went away. What was it with people and thinking he had affairs?

* * *

Eventually everything heated up in Glee club. After Rachel sang a song to Finn (a break-up song, '_Go your own way_' so Sam didn't know what Quinn interpreted into it), Quinn bitched at her, and Rachel fought back with bringing up the rumours again. Suddenly everybody was talking.

"Seriously, dude, what you're doing is not cool!" Puck said directly into Sam's face. "They both have boyfriends!"

"Shut up!" Sam said. He was so fed up of all of it. "I'm not messing around with Quinn or Kurt or any one of those guys! They are just helping me!"

"Oh, is that what we're calling it now?" Mercedes asked.

"Hold on!" Mr Schue said to her, then turned to Sam. "How are they helping you out?"

Sam took a deep breath. He couldn't say it… but even less could he keep that secret any longer. Alright.

"Kurt was bringing me clothes and Quinn was helping me babysit my siblings."

"Then why where you in that Motel room?" Finn wanted to now.

"Because that's where I live now! My Dad lost his job a few months ago, then we lost our house so now we life in a motel, all in one room."

Sam got up and turned to the group. "Are you all happy? The truth is finally out!"

He stormed out, not looking back once.

* * *

Later Finn and Rachel came over to the motel and wanted to know details. Sam didn't care anymore, now it was out so he might as well tell them everything. How he didn't know how it would go on, at home, in school, everywhere. When he mentioned that he might have to quit Glee club they looked smitten, even Finn who due to the affair rumours had been on Sam's heels all week long.

"Please don't quit Glee club", Rachel said. "We've come so far and I know that it's a rough time right now but you can't quit."

"You guys don't understand", Sam said.

"Yes, we do", Rachel said.

Finn went outside and brought a guitar case in. He gave it to Sam, who didn't know what was going on. It looked like his, the one he had sold a few weeks ago. He quickly opened it.

"Quinn told us you sold your guitar", Finn said.

"Did you guys buy that back for me?" Sam asked.

"The whole Glee club did", Rachel said.

Sam looked down and puckered his lips. They did?

"Look, Sam", Rachel said. "We'll do whatever we can to help you, anything to keep you in Glee club, until you get back on your feet."

While she talked Sam couldn't take it anymore. He started to cry. How were they all so nice to him? They knew each other only since a few months, and the friends Sam had had in his life before had not even said nice things to him after years, let alone had they _done_ something for him. How… wow.

He shortly glanced at Rachel and looked down again, not wanting to face Finn (he was a crying dude). Now they didn't say anything, and Sam didn't know what to say, too. His little sister came to him and hugged him.

"Don't cry, Sammy."

Sam wiped his face.

"We need you, Sam. Okay? And you need the music", Rachel said.

Stacey went back to the bed, and Sam could again only look Rachel in the eyes, not Finn. His silence made it pretty obvious he felt the same awkwardness.

Rachel handed Sam a tissue. He blew his nose while desperately thinking of a way how he could thank them.

"I don't know what to say", he admitted. "This is more than anyone has ever done for me."

"It's cool." Finn had found his tongue again. He patted Sam's back, so Sam shortly looked at him. Finn nodded graciously and went outside, gesturing Rachel he'd wait.

"Will we see you tomorrow in Glee club?" Rachel asked.

Sam nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

Rachel took a deep breath and hugged him. Sam hugged back, buried his face in her neck and closed his eyes. Was this really happening? Everybody in Glee club really liked him, despite the weekly fights?

"I'm sorry I can't take you to prom", Sam said as he stepped back. "I would have. I just couldn't tell you about my situation."

"No, no, don't think about it. It's okay. You need to care for yourself and your family now, don't think about me, okay?"

Sam nodded again. Eventually Rachel left, too, and Sam had to process the embarrassment of having cried in front of two of his friends.

But honestly? It was the best Birthday present ever. (And his only one, too, since his parents couldn't afford one.)

**Prom Queen**

Over the weekend Sam was happier than before in their crappy Motel room. He had his guitar back and took it out to the park to play with it. He even opened the case so that people who wanted could throw in money and at the end of the day he had actually earned ten bucks.

Nationals were approaching faster and faster. Still Mr Schue announced on Monday Glee club would perform at the prom. Since they would get paid for it from the school it contributed they could go to Nationals, so… yeah. Why not.

When he left the cafeteria after lunch Rachel came up to him and linked arms with him.

"Saaam?"

"Yes?"

Hopefully not another try to ask him to go to prom. But she knew why he couldn't!

"What are you doing right now?"

"Talking to you."

"Can you come to the auditorium?"

Sam looked at her. Oh, how hard she must have fallen for him. He didn't want to break her heart again so he agreed. Apart from that he was ready to date again and as long as she didn't expect expensive things or anything they would be good.

When they entered the auditorium Sam saw Mercedes on the stage. So this had to have another meaning…?

"Is this a surprise party or something? Because my birthday was last week."

"It was?" Rachel said. "Uhm… no. Mercedes and I, we have a proposition for you."

They explained they wanted to go prom with him together. Wow, Sam had had no idea that they both loved him! They gave him twenty dollars and said he could rent a suit from his Dad, they'd walk to prom and eat a pasta special at Breadstix. Now Sam still had the ten dollars that he earned on the weekend and all of a sudden he saw the light.

* * *

Prom came in no time. Sam hadn't thought he could be excited about anything with the circumstances of his living situation but he was. He met with Rachel, Mercedes and Jesse St. James (oh yeah, one of Rachel's exes who had appeared out of nothing and wanted it) at Breadstix.

So Sam had a date with two girls and one boy at the _fucking same time!_

Sam had made an extra effort with his tie. It was the same like the one that Springsteen had worn on a cover of his albums. It was the coolest thing ever. When Jesse complimented both girls but didn't say a word to Sam's outfit he outrightly asked him about it and even explained what it was about. A guy like Jesse would appreciate it, right? He seemed like the type.

"Dude, that was like twenty years ago", Jesse said.

Sam stared at him. Things like that were timeless, come on!

Jesse laughed awkwardly at Rachel, who sat between the two boys. Oh, so that's how things were. He was here to steal her from Sam, not to contribute to their love team!

"I'm really sorry to hear what happened with your family, Sam", Jesse said.

Oh. Or not.

Sam relaxed and leaned on the table.

"I hope it's okay, I sort of filled Jesse in on what was going on", Rachel said.

"Of course it's okay!" Jesse immediately said before Sam had the chance to answer. "Sam has nothing to be ashamed of. I know how hard it is out there. I couldn't even get a job as one of those singing waiters at Johnny Rockets. But I've got an idea. They say the best time to start any business is during a recession. I don't know why, or even what a recession is, but it's my understanding that we're in one."

"He's so smart, I can't believe he dropped out of college", Rachel said to Sam.

Huh, well, Sam didn't really agree. He wasn't _that_ smart. Jesse talked on about some business he wanted to open to support show choirs and then Finn and Quinn came over so that Finn and Jesse could fight. It was a nice gesture of them. But they had to go to prom now.

First it was all work. Sam sang with Puck and Artie. Then Rachel sang a love song during that Sam danced with Mercedes. Afterwards Blaine actually performed (Sam didn't know who asked him. Maybe no one did and he just had claimed the stage?) and during that they all four danced happily next to each other.

Well, until Finn came over to continue his fight with Jesse and Sue Sylvester threw them both out.

"Don't be sad, Rachel, you still got me", Sam said.

She looked sad nonetheless. Sam offered her a dance, and after that the prom elections started. And this was also when all the drama started (yes, Finn and Jesse's fight had been entertainment).

Kurt was elected as prom Queen and all the students just glared at him. Kurt ran out and Sam couldn't help it, he went after him.

He realised his mistake when he reached the doors and met Blaine there, also on his way to comfort Kurt. He was his boyfriend, Sam remembered, so he slowed down his pace and let Blaine take over. Sam stood in the door for a moment, not sure what to do. They wouldn't want his help or words, and what could he say anyway.

When he went back inside Rachel had vanished, too.

"Looks like it's just the two of us now", he said to Mercedes. "Do you want a drink? I sure could use one."

"I'm sorry, Sam, I'm on my way. It's my turn to perform when the royal couples gets their first dance."

"Yeah, do you really think that's gonna happen? The queen just ran off."

She shrugged and went away. Great, now Sam was actually dateless? After having started with three dates? That could only happen to him, could it?

"Hey! Is he back?" Rachel came out of nowhere.

"No, but you are!"

"Quinn slapped me", she said with a proud undertone.

"Oh. Uhm… congratulations?"

The door opened and Kurt came back inside, actually climbing the stage. The room got quiet again as he accepted the crown. Wow! He was so brave.

Dave Karofsky wasn't. He backed out of the dance. And again it was Blaine who was there. After he and Kurt had started dancing the students around them slowly did, too. Rachel twirled around in her rose-pink dress while some Glee girls sang '_Dancing Queen'_. They seemed to have picked an Abba theme because they went over to '_I have a dream'_.

As they slow danced Sam decided to cut it to the chase.

"Listen, Rachel", he said. "I'd be okay with dating but I really can't afford very much. Like… would you okay with date in parks and me cooking at your place… with your grocery?"

Rachel, who had been quiet and almost like in a trance, lifted her head from his chest and looked at him.

"What? You want to date me?"

"No, you want to date me!"

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do! Don't deny it!"

"Sam. I asked you out to prom, yes, and I said you're lips are cute which wasn't a lie, don't be self-conscious about them, but tonight made me realise I'm still not over Finn. He fought for me with Jesse! Isn't that romantic?" She sighed a romantic sigh.

"Oh", Sam said.

"Don't be sad! You'll find someone, soon, I'm sure of it", Rachel said. "How about Mercedes, she's totally free."

Sam waggled his head. He didn't want to date at any cost. But if he had to choose someone who had been here tonight he maybe would ask Jesse.

"Rachel, uhm… Can I ask you something about Jesse?"

"Yes, I have been in love with him and I still adore him. But my heart really lies with Finn."

"Cool. And Jesse, is he, like, interested in both sides of…" Sam cleared his throat. "In girls and boys?"

Rachel seemed baffled for a moment, and she frowned.

"I don't… I wouldn't know. When he was with me he talked only about me, understandable, if I may say that."

That didn't really help Sam. Should he risk it and just ask Jesse? Back then Kurt had asked him and Sam had just gone with it. And then Santana had taken over. Maybe it was time to take matters into his own hands?

The song ended and the dancing couples separated. Sam went to get a drink and met Kurt and Blaine here.

"Hey, Kurt, that was really, really brave of you", he said.

"Right? Running away just isn't the key to a happy life."

Sam nodded. "I was thinking just the same. Well, almost. I'm thinking about asking someone out."

"Oh yeah, hey, cool, do it!" Kurt patted his shoulder and hopped away. Blaine chuckled while he looked after him.

"So. Boy or girl?" he asked Sam when he took a drink for himself.

"Boy again. I figured I'm taking turns, that the easiest way."

Blaine laughed and turned to go. Just when he passed Sam he stopped again for a moment and leaned to him.

"By the way, I dig your Springsteen tie."

He winked and then followed Kurt, vanishing into the crowd.

"Thanks", Sam said. He looked down at his tie and touched it. See, it wasn't uncool! Some things were just timeless, yes, they really were!

Full of new enthusiasm Sam went to Rachel and asked her for Jesse's number (since Jesse wasn't here anymore, he totally would have asked him otherwise).


	10. Funeral, New York

**Funeral**

Sam didn't call Jesse. He just hadn't seemed like a guy who likes guys. That's what Sam told himself while in truth he just had chickened out.

So when Mr Schue came in on Monday with Jesse at his side and told them he'd be their new show choir consultant to help them win Nationals (in _New York!_) Sam was okay with that. He was a bit confused because it seemed like life had done something for him here and it usually worked against him but when he was over that (and after Jesse had insulted Finn) Sam started to realise that this week would be an awesome one.

He sat next to Rachel who was just as happy about Jesse's presence while Finn behind them got more and more worked up about it.

Admittedly, that Jesse kept insulting Finn didn't help to the situation very much...

"You sing and dance like a Zombie who has to poop", Jesse told Finn. Sam grinned. That boy was funny, no question!

Mr Schue interrupted the upcoming roar and told Jesse to be gentler. Still, Finn didn't like it.

"Mr Schue, don't you think this is kind of not our style?" was his next try to kick Jesse out.

When Finn could fight for his desires, so could Sam, right? He turned to him.

"Normally I'd agree with you, Finn, but this is the big time. I think we should listen to Jesse."

Ha, bingo! It was settled, and Jesse smiled at Sam. Yaaaaaaay.

* * *

Sam decided against auditioning for the lead singer on Nationals (what where his chances with Kurt, Rachel and Mercedes in the run, anyway?) so he focused on his new mission. Getting Jesse to be his new boyfriend. Or, you know, first finding out if he was bi.

So he called Jesse and asked him for help with Stevie, who wanted to get singing lessons (after Sam had told him to).

"Thank you so much for coming", Sam said as Jesse came over. "Especially since you have so much on your hands with helping us win and everything."

"You're right, it's an inexhaustible source of frustration to deal with your Glee club", Jesse said.

"Inex… what?"

"I don't know what it means, I learned the phrase from a calendar. But it's true, that much I know. Now, where's the tiny little future singing bird?"

Stevie and Stacey were sitting on the bed, watching TV. Stacey waved to Jesse, while Stevie didn't even turn around.

"Stevie!" Sam said. "This is Jesse. He's here to give you lessons."

"While I'm on it, I need a music player, privacy and the insurance that none of your neighbours will complain."

"Uuuhm… This is a motel with thin walls so… and privacy isn't possible, either."

"Yes, it is. You take your little sister for a walk and come back in one hour!"

Damn. But what could he do? So Sam took Stacey and his guitar to the park and it turned out that having a kid with him encouraged people to give away more money. Especially when Stacey put her hands on her stomach and cried "Sammy, Sammy, I wished we had money to buy food, I haven't eaten in weeks!"

They came home with thirty dollars! Twenty of them he would use to pay back Rachel and Mercedes for their prom loan and the other ten he gave to Stacey, telling her she should share it with her brother (not him but Stevie).

"That was hard, hard work", Jesse said. Sam looked at Stevie who sat on the bed and ate popcorn, still watching TV. He'd later asked him what Jesse had told him but now he accompanied Jesse outside.

"So, thanks for doing this without payment", Sam said.

"Wait, what? I don't get payed?"

"Uhm, you know about my situation so I kind of thought…"

"I'm independent worker who's trying to get his business to survive. Of course I ask for payment. But I see how that is a problem for you…" He thought about it.

"I could… pay you with a date", Sam said. And anxiously waited for a reaction. Jesse watched his face.

"Yeah, you could help me out?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, I accept that! You bring Rachel to get on a date with me and we're even! Deal!"

"What?"

"Why do you sound so surprised and astonished, it was your idea."

"No! I was offering you a date with _me!_"

Sam's cheeks got all hot after this had come out.

"Oh… I see", Jesse said. "Of course I noticed how desperately you wanted my attention on Friday when you were fishing for compliments about your poor tie. Huuuuh…"

He went into serious thinking mode, pacing up and down the small veranda. Eventually he turned to Sam and clapped his hands.

"Okay, I grant you this date. Which means you're in my doubts double now but we'll find something with that you can pay me back soon enough, don't be afraid."

"I… but…"

"See you tomorrow night then, bye!"

Okay… not how Sam had planned it to be. But yay, he had a date!

* * *

The next day Finn and Kurt announced Glee club would help Sue Sylvester set up the service for her deceased sister. Jesse didn't want them to go through with it but Finn felt challenged in his manhood or something and put a foot to the ground. Mr Schue didn't seem to remember that he was actually the boss and just nodded along.

In the evening Sam chose some clothes that Kurt had given to him and that were very different to the clothes Sam would normally wear. He needed to be fancy. He was actually competing against Rachel now so he needed to bring in the big guns.

Jesse picked Sam up. They went to Breadstix and Jesse right away said he'd pay. Now Sam felt like the girl, especially in Kurt's clothes (though he didn't know why) and that wasn't the best start to a relationship in his eyes.

"So, today I judged those peers of you that auditioned for lead singer", Jesse said when they were eating. "Most of them are so unqualified! They are mean, choose inappropriate songs or are just downright lazy! Rachel is really the only one who was truly amazing. A. M . A. S. Ing."

"Mmh", Sam said.

"She has great star quality, I tell you."

Okay, Jesse wouldn't shut up about Rachel. Was this really a date? Would they make out afterwards? (At least that would shut Jesse up.)

"Hey! What are you guys doing here!?"

Kurt and Blaine had come in. Kurt seemed not in the best mood but Blaine greeted them.

"We're on a date, obviously", Jesse answered. "Just like you two, I assume."

Kurt sighed and sat down next to Sam who quickly glided over to make room for him. Kurt propped his face on his hands.

"Tomorrow is the funeral and Finn suggested I go out to take my mind off it. I have spent all week planning it and you can't imagine how much it drags my spirits down", he said.

"There, there", Sam said while helplessly patting his back.

"Are you planning on taking my spirits down with you or why do you choose to stay here instead of walking away?" Jesse asked.

"Hey, a little more respect", Blaine said. "Come, Kurt, let's find a table and eat."

"Yeah", Kurt sighed and got up.

After they were gone Jesse continued talking about Rachel. Eventually (after he had eaten of course) Sam told him it was a crappy date.

Jesse seemed shocked. "But I gave you food!"

"Do you even know what a date is about? Not talking about someone else who you are obviously in love with! _Now_ we're even", Sam said as he got up.

He met Kurt at the door, who send him another depressed look.

"I'm going home. I just want to sleep", he said. "I can't believe I let Finn talk me into this. Good night, Sam."

"Yeah, good night", Sam said. Kurt didn't even stop and went through the door Sam had opened. Sam glanced back to see where Blaine was and then waited until he had come up.

"Not the best night for you, too?" Blaine asked, nodding to Jesse, who still sat as his table and ordered desert.

Sam shook his head. He gestured Blaine to go through the door that he still held open. Two seconds later they were outside in the warm summer night and Sam took a deep breath.

"He couldn't stop talking about Rachel."

"Ouch", Blaine said. He had car keys in his hands but stayed for a moment, listening to Sam.

"And he was mean to me, kind of like Santana, only that this right now didn't even seem to be a date."

"I'm sorry", Blaine said.

Sam stared at the street. Kurt drove past them, briefly holding up his hand. Blaine waved, and then it was silent again.

"Can I give you a ride or something?" Blaine asked.

Sam shrugged his shoulders. "You'd to that? Cause Jesse drove me here and I…"

"Of course, come on." Blaine started to walk to a car so Sam quickly followed him. During the ride the radio played softly while Sam stared out of the passenger's window. Why was he so unlucky with love? Why did he always either turn to people who were mean to him or left him in the end? Yeah, okay, he was young and somebody could come any moment now and make his life perfect but… when?

They arrived. Blaine parked the car at the opposite site of the road and curiously leaned forward to look at the motel.

"Yeah, that's where I live now", Sam sighed.

"It doesn't look that bad", Blaine said.

"But it is. I life in one tiny room with four other people. I'm sleeping in the same bed as my two siblings. It's horrible. I don't have any privacy and I can never…" Sam bit his lip and lowered his look to his hands.

"Jerk off?" Blaine said with a laugh.

"Hey, that's not… I wanted to say… think very hard about philosophical stuff."

"Uh, okay then."

"I better get going", Sam said, looking at the motel again.

"Okay. Just can I ask you one thing?"

"What?" Sam turned his head to Blaine, looking at his outlines in the dark.

"Why are you wearing those clothes? They don't suit you, like, at all." Blaine extended his arm and drove with the back of his fingers over Sam's jacket. It made him shiver though he didn't know why.

"It's Kurt's", Sam said. "I wanted to look good."

"You look the best when you're yourself. That goes for everybody. Like last Friday, the touch with the tie? Now _that_ was hot."

Sam laughed, as did Blaine. But the laughter quickly faded away because Sam couldn't forget his self-pity.

"You're the only one thinking that. Everybody else finds me too dorky or nerdy or whatever."

"Then you just haven't met the right person yet. Be patient, they will come."

"I sure hope so", Sam said. He unbuckled his seat belt. "Hey, thanks for the ride, man."

"Sure."

Blaine waved as Sam got out, and soon his car disappeared into the night. With slow steps Sam went back to the motel. Hopefully the day his Dad would find a new job would come soon.

The next day Sam wore black because that's what you did at a funeral. Glee club sang the favourite song of Sue's sister and had the rest of day off. Kurt had been right, funeral's tore you down. Sam grabbed his guitar and played sad songs in the park, and this also seemed to bring people to be more generous with their money.

On Friday (like one day before!) Mr Schue changed his mind about the solo at Nationals and said they'd all sing together. Yeah, just another week of Mr Schue not knowing what he did. Sam didn't look twice at Jesse, who hadn't even asked if he had come home well after their date. He didn't care, and the way Rachel looked at him told Sam that there was something going on between them now.

Sam would find his special someone soon enough. Yeah, soon. Maybe.

**New York**

Sam couldn't believe he was going to New York, he just couldn't believe it! Wow! It was the biggest city ever, not only on the world but probably in the whole Galaxy!

The days in this town not only went by fast but also seemed like a dream, even when Sam was awake most of the time.

But the best thing actually happened when he came back home. He wasn't in the best mood on that day since they hadn't even ranked the top ten but that sulky day soon became the best day in his whole life!

"Sammy, Sammy!"

Both Stevie and Stacey came jumping to him when he hadn't even put down his bag.

"We're moving! We have money!"

"Whoah, what? Slow down, what is going…"

But then his Dad joined the group hug.

"I finally found a job!"

"What if it won't work out like…"

"No, no pessimism now, Sam. I have a job and they even provide me a house. All we have to do is pack our stuff and go to Cincinnati!"

"We have a house there? Really, I can have my own room?"

It was a dream come true!

Only in the evening did Sam realise that he had to leave his friends behind. This time it hurt. Who knew if he'd find other friends in Kentucky? Maybe he'd just meet another Edward.

And the worst thing was that he couldn't say officially goodbye. His parents had already packed and wanted to start driving away immediately. It was a four hour ride and they'd arrive at nine or ten and would be able to sleep in their house already.

As much as Sam wanted that, he couldn't go without telling anybody.

"What about my school transfer, don't you have to file an application for it?"

"Everything is cared for, Sam. I was on the phone all day, insisting on the urgency of the matter", his mother said.

"Oh. Cool", Sam mumbled. "But… can I say goodbye to my friends?"

"Of course you can. Just be back at five", Mary said.

It was half past three! How was he supposed to say goodbye to everyone in that time? Alone gathering everyone together that spontaneously wouldn't work. Especially since they've just come back from New York and everybody was home with their families.

Well, he had to try. He called Rachel and asked her for help. Of course then Rachel took over everything (which he kind of had hoped for) so Sam only needed to arrange a ride to the Lima Bean where Rachel would gather everybody together.

Turned out getting a ride wasn't that easy. First he called Kurt and explained him the situation, which was answered with a scream.

"You can't go away, Sam, you just can't!"

"I have to! We can talk about that in the Lima Bean… can you come and get me? Please?"

"What – now? I'm in a restaurant with my parents and Finn, for celebrations. Listen, we're starting off to the Lima Bean immediately, I promise, you are more important than food! But it will take at least forty-five minutes, maybe longer when the streets are full. But we will arrive before you're gone, I swear!"

"Okay", Sam said. Damn, Finn would've been his second choice. But now there was no other way, he actually had to ask Puck for a favour. Since Sam was leaving he maybe would do it without expecting any return service… hopefully.

Kurt talked in a hurry to someone off the phone. Then the background noises got pretty loud and Kurt screamed into Sam's ear.

"On our way, on our way! Listen, do you have Blaine's number?"

"Uhm, no, why would I?"

"I'll send it to you in a text. You can ask him for a ride."

"But that'd be weird and…"

"I have to go now. See you soon!"

Puck or Blaine, Blaine or Puck? Sam didn't have much time to decide and what did it matter now, anyway? He called Blaine and got an _okay_, and just fifteen minutes later they arrived at the Lima Bean. Most people were already there, wow, Rachel was really fast if she had to be.

"Saaaam! I can't believe it!" she screamed when she saw him. He gut pulled into a hug and it wasn't the last one that afternoon. He lost count though he was pretty sure he hugged Mike twice. But who cared. It was the saddest get together Sam had ever participated in but at the same time he was glad because he had all those amazing friends.

Kurt and Finn arrived ten minutes before Sam had to go, and he got more hugs. He was a bit baffled when Kurt held on to him for a very long moment and actually cried. Finn, too, did look unhappy. If they wouldn't stop Sam would cry in front of them a second time!

"I don't want to but I have to go now… we're leaving at five", he said.

"Oh, no, your parents can wait ten minutes, can't they?" Kurt said.

"I don't want to keep them waiting", Sam said.

Kurt sighed heavily. "I'm going to miss you. I'm sorry, Blaine, but I will miss him."

"You don't have to apologise for missing your friends", Blaine, who sat with them, said.

"This is weird, so weird." Kurt shook his head. He looked at Finn, and Sam again, then squeezed Sam's hand.

"Okay. Then go. Go now, before I start to cry. Did you come with Blaine?"

Sam nodded, while Blaine laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I feel personally responsible for getting Sam back safely to his family. But afterwards I can't come back… We'll see each other tomorrow, right?"

As Sam got up, Finn hugged him again, and Rachel, too, and now Sam seriously was about to cry. He actually was glad it was Blaine who brought him back, because parting from him wouldn't be as emotionally as from all others.

In the car he tried to calm down. He would move to Kentucky, for real. Never see them again. His future was as uncertain as just one year ago.

"I'm sorry, I'm not a good entertainer right now", Sam said after some minutes of silence. Blaine threw him a glance.

"You don't have to entertain me, Sam", he said softly. "If I was in your place I would cry nonstop."

"I'm kind of trying to keep my cool", Sam said. Then he added quieter: "It's not working."

They were silent again. Sam leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Hopefully he would find some friends in Kentucky. Yeah, he would join the school's Glee club and everything would be like here, right?

But what if not?

Sam sniffled. He had held his tears all the time, he could do it a few more minutes. He wouldn't cry on front of Kurt's boyfriend, come on!

"There are tissues in the glove department", Blaine said.

Oh God! Sam opened his eyes and wiped over them. He was crying already, shit. He took the tissues and blew his nose. In that moment they arrived. Blaine parked where he had a few days before. Oh, it felt like years ago already.

Sam saw his Dad's tightly packed car. All their things were in there by now and Sam didn't know how he and his siblings would fit in.

"You will be okay", Blaine said. Sam sniffled again and fumbled with his tissue.

"Yeah. I guess."

"And I know."

Sam took a deep breath, nodded and looked up. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"I don't know. Not hating me, for starters."

Blaine chuckled. "No, I should thank you for that. After all did end up dating Kurt, just like you feared all the time."

"Yeah. Well, it didn't work with us. I hope you two do, though. Send me an invitation to the wedding, okay?"

Blaine smiled. Sam just nodded goodbye and left the car. Okay. He so wasn't ready but here he went.


	11. Season3! HoldOnTo16,Christmas,YesNo

**Kentucky**

Three weeks later Sam had accepted his fate. Roosevelt High wasn't that bad. They even had a Glee club. The only problem was they met like once a week, sang a few songs and parted without any big projects. No Rachel Berry was here to talk them all into making the most out of them (so they could feature her). No Kurt Hummel who was a role model to everyone who felt different, and no Mr Schue who made questionable decisions every second week. Everybody seemed to be average. And Sam was back in the closet, just because he hadn't found anyone he was comfortable enough with to talk about his bisexuality.

But it wasn't a problem, he just dated girls for now. Last week Lucy had asked him out and after the disaster with Jesse Sam just wanted someone who was interested in him.

The house was nice. Really, Sam wouldn't complain about anything after those months in the motel room. But his Dad didn't make nearly as much money as he had imagined. Yesterday Stevie had asked for new shoes and it had been pushed away.

Sam needed to find a job. So he went to Dickey's Barbeque Pit and asked for one.

* * *

Another month later Sam got frustrated with that. And then Lucy, who was a weird mix of Santana, Quinn and Lauren, told him that her brother worked in a strip club and got like one hundred dollars tip… per day!

Okay, now, that sounded like something! So the next day Sam met with Brian at this club and he introduced him to his boss, who eyed him – or rather his body.

"So, you want to work here?"

Sam couldn't really believe it but he nodded. He didn't want to but he wanted the money and after all – what difference was there to stripping in front of a live audience and modelling for, say, a catalogue in your underwear? Sam still thought about becoming a model so he could use this as a practise.

* * *

Two months later he knew he had found his calling. Girls every age liked his body because he was hot! Uh yeah. Okay, his parents thought he still worked at Dickey's but what the heck.

"What are you doing tonight?" Brian asked as they had ended their last dance and were changing back into normal clothes.

"Not much. I think I'll catch up on some homework… what?" he asked because Brian grinned.

"I always forget you're only sixteen", he said. "You seem so much more mature."

"Because I am!" Sam said and tensed his biceps. Brian laughed. And then he kissed Sam on the mouth.

Sam ripped open his eyes. What was happening, what…?

Brian leaned back, smirking.

"I was thinking maybe we could get a drink."

"Oh. Uhm… I dated your sister?"

"She already has another one, don't worry."

"And you like me? As in like-like?"

"Yup."

Sam pulled an impressed face. A boy liked him. A boy that wasn't Kurt. He needed to know more, so he kissed Brian again.

* * *

Attention everyone, attention! Sam Evans wasn't a virgin anymore!

Sam would have loved to scream it out loud in school but the fact that he had slept with a boy wouldn't do much to his coolness. But who cared. He had had sex!

True, Brian and him had broken up one week later but somehow Sam still felt good. It felt like Brian had been there to make him feel safer with his own body and certain things you could do with it. Kurt hadn't even let Sam touch him beyond the waist, Santana's big attraction had been her boobs and with Lucy he had been close, but not gone all the way, either. But now, oh yeah.

His life was weird right now. He kind of waited for the day he could quit stripping and be a real model because stripping, too, wasn't something you wanted to shout to the world. His initial enthusiasm had cooled off long ago.

* * *

Another two months later Sam thought he was hallucinating because one of the girls reaching him dollar bills to the stage looked like Rachel. Of course thought about his old friends now and then but never that vividly and –

"Rachel!"

It actually was her! His past had come to hunt him down… or something.

She was here with Finn and they wanted him to come back to McKinley.

**Hold On To Sixteen**

"Mr Schue, we all appreciate your endless apply of beverages but all sparkling cyder in the world can't deny the fact that the Titanic has hit the iceberg and now we're on a sinking ship."

Oh, Kurt. How Sam had missed him – he hadn't known he had but now hearing him utter deepest pessimism about Glee club made Sam realise exactly that.

"Not if I can help it!" he said, walking into the choir room as if he'd been away for just a day.

This time they screamed of joy and the endless hugs soon dissolved to Sam singing his re-entering song '_Red Solo Cup'_. During that Sam noticed that Blaine was here. He must've transferred schools. But… not for Kurt, was it? Were they really that serious? Not that Sam would have any objections, he just wondered. And there was a new boy, while Lauren seemed to be gone.

Sam had had the choice of moving in with either Rachel or Finn and Kurt. First he had leaned to Rachel because it sure would be awkward living with his ex but during the ride to Ohio he had changed his mind. Nothing could ever get so awkward he'd prefer living with Rachel. Sure, she was nice and everything but she _talked_. _so. much!_

So Sam settled in with the Hummel-Hudson's, got the guest room and spend the first week back in Ohio getting used to it again and telling everybody he met to hold on to sixteen as long as they could. It sounded mysterious but all he meant was… don't work as a stripper until you can't put it off any longer.

* * *

Sam was brought back to win Sectionals. As it turned out almost all girls, except Rachel (who was suspended right now), Tina and Quinn, had joined another Glee club (founded by Sue Sylvester) and were competing against them. What the…?

The new kid Rory said something that Sam didn't understand. He had a very, very weird accent. Mr Schue seemed to understand him, though, and was totally enthusiastic about it.

"Yeah, that's it! We take what's most appealing about us as a group and we'll use it to our advantage!"

"Yeah, something like… something like that!" Blaine made some pirouette moves or whatever that was supposed to be. The whole group started spinning around.

Sam saw his chance to help them win. He knew _things_ now. He had changed, he was a man, a real man, and real men knew what winning (as well as everything else in life) was about: sex.

"Okay, stop, stop", he said and got up the chair he had taken a break on. He went down the stairs.

"Look, Blaine, this…" He spun around. "Is totally boy band. What we need to sell here is sex!"

He demonstrated a body roll.

"What the hell is that?" Blaine asked.

"That's a… it's a body roll!"

Duh!

"It's not a body roll."

Okay, Blaine wanted to see more? Sam did it more obviously, rolling his hips as good as he could and waiting for Blaine to do the same.

"That… is sex!"

Blaine shook his head and crossed his arms, while the rest of the group copied Sam. They would _so_ win with that strategy. Artie and Finn agreed and said that was exactly what they needed.

"No, it's not what we need", Blaine said. "We don't have to resort to… that." He pointed at Sam's crotch. "It's cheap. It's selling out."

"I came back here to win", Sam defended himself while feeling like he had gotten into a time machine and come out last year when he had often fought with Blaine.

"When you're desperate sometimes you gotta, you know, use your assets and do what you gotta do to get back your advantage. This…"

He did his infamous body roll again (the ladies had loved it so Sam really didn't know what Blaine had against it – not that he thought Blaine was a lady. But a gay guy) and lowered his head.

"This is the advantage."

"Of course that's what you think; you have to think that in order to sleep at night."

"What's the hell does that mean?"

"It means that I'm not for sale!"

During saying it Blaine had come closer and entered his private space, and as soon as he had spoken Sam pushed him away. He didn't think about it, pure reflexes. Blaine came back at him. They couldn't really fight because Mr Schue and Finn stepped in immediately. Blaine glared at Sam for a moment, then turned around and mumbled "Forget it."

What the hell? Had Sam missed something? Because last time he checked, he and Blaine had been on good terms…?

* * *

Sam carefully stepped into the locker room were Blaine was frantically hitting a punching bag.

"Is that my face?" he asked.

"Yup", Blaine said without turning. "And Finn's, too."

He threw Sam a glance. "Don't act so surprised. After getting bullied so much I took up boxing. I also started Dalton's fight club which I obviously can't talk about."

With every word he boxed the bag somewhat harder.

"What is your problem with me?" Sam asked. "It's not about last year when –"

"No", Blaine interrupted him. "I've been on the edge ever since I got her. Finn has given me nothing but crap."

"You didn't start a fight with Finn, though."

"No." Blaine stopped boxing and got off his gloves. He took a bottle of water and drank from it.

"You came back at the wrong time", he said.

Sam bit his lip. He couldn't help but feel that Blaine had changed. He hadn't known him very good, alright, but still…

"I just want us to win Sectionals", Sam said. "And for that we need to be on the same side. So… are we?"

Blaine still didn't look very happy. He gasped, and eventually nodded and held out his hand. Sam took it.

Sectionals were held in the auditorium and they won. It was a glorious feeling, but even better was that Sam by now understood at least some words when Rory was speaking!

**Extraordinary Merry Christmas**

If Sam had gotten it right, it was Rory's first Christmas without any family. The sad song he sang after that confession did only add to this theory. So when he later saw Rory struggling with his books – or rather the books falling out of his locker and attacking him – he hurried to his help.

"Is that your family?" he asked as he saw the photos on Rory's locker door.

"It's so hard", Rory said. "Harder than I ever imagined."

"I know the feeling. I'm only away from my family a few hours but I still miss them like crazy", Sam said. "What are you going to do for Christmas this year?"

Rory agreed to spending Christmas with him and Sam even offered him to be his Christmas sponsor. Before he knew it he had made a new friend. Yeah, okay, he had some ulterior motives because… Rory was nice. And new. Maybe Sam could fall in love with him? He wouldn't know if he didn't try to find out!

Rachel sang a Joni Mitchel song that made Artie want to kill himself. At least that's how he said it. Then he went on about how they would do their Christmas TV special and everything in his version was cheesy and super-happy. Sam couldn't stand it, simply because life wasn't like that. Christmas wasn't about pretending everything was good.

"What's wrong with a story that's a little sad?" he asked. "Or a song that's a little depressing? I mean, that's part of Christmas too, right? It's the sad things that make you remember what's really important."

"Sorry Sam, but the phrase is 'Merry' Christmas, not 'Morose' Christmas. That's the vision! That's what you have to buy into."

"I'm sorry Artie, but I'm not buying into it." He started walking. "I'm going downtown, see if I can find one of those Salvation Armies. Come on, Rory."

But Rory didn't come and Sam had to go alone. It was a bit disappointing. Was it too much to ask to find a friend in this cruel world?

* * *

Sam couldn't believe it but he was on the same side as Sue Sylvester. She was in the homeless shelter when he and Quinn helped giving out food.

After half an hour the Glee club came in. They said Rory had read them a passage from the bible and so persuaded them to come over. Yup, Rory was back on Team Christmas Spirit!

The next day he and Sam placed themselves on the street and rang out bells in order to get people to give them money for charity.

"Sam… I was wondering if you wanted to be my Valentine's Day sponsor as well. You did such a good job at being a Christmas sponsor. I figured you have no problem help me to a snog or two by February."

He grinned at Sam, and Sam realised this was the Irish way of asking someone out.

"Deal. But first I will perfect my Sean Connery. Impressions are the best way to start a snog."

Rory smiled. Oh my God! Looked like not only Sam got a date but also on who actually _liked_ his impressions and stuff! Rory must've been an angel. The love of Sam's life, everything!

Best. Christmas. Ever!

**Yes/No**

"Sam, what's the deal with you and Rory? You've been stealing glances in the choir room and you still haven't told us what happened over Christmas when he was with you in Kentucky", Kurt said as they were looking for a place in the cafeteria.

"Yeah, what happened? Tell us everything" Blaine said.

And that was the keyword Sam had been waiting for.

"It was incredible, guys. We were together all the time. He's such a happy person, and he likes my impressions! He even likes Star Wars", Sam said with a smirk to Kurt.

"Everybody likes Star Wars but Kurt", Blaine laughed. Kurt rolled his eyes while Sam looked at Blaine.

"You mean, you like it?"

"Of course", Blaine said, a bit confused.

"If you start a discussion about Luke and Leia I'm going to leave", Kurt said.

"Oh, you even taught him the names! I'm impressed", Sam said.

"I forced him to watch the first part but after like an hour he pulled out a Vogue magazine and wasn't responsive anymore", Blaine said.

"Dude, then you haven't seen the best! Han Solo and his star ship!" Sam said to Kurt.

"And don't forget Chewbacca", Blaine said.

"Or the Ewoks!"

"Yes! How _cute_ are they?"

"I know, right!?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and glided a few spots away.

"Such a philistine", Blaine said, head shaking.

Sam picked up some potatoes, still grinning. Finally he had a friend who he could talk Star Wars with! Maybe they could even watch it together some time. And Rory could join them. Sam looked around the room but Rory wasn't here, maybe still in class or something.

Sam had decided he needed to get back in the football team. Having a boyfriend could make his popularity vanish (they weren't as obvious as Kurt and Blaine but still) so he needed something that would even it out. He'd go to Coach Beiste right after lunch.

"Don't you want to eat your pudding?" Blaine asked.

"What? Oh, no, I have to watch my weight. You want it?"

Sam grasped it and offered it Blaine, who reached out his hand. Sam let it go too soon and it fell down on the bench they were sitting on. He went for it but Blaine did too, and all of a sudden Blaine's hand lay warm and heavy on Sam's. For a moment it was all he could focus on, that and Blaine's eyes that were locked with Sam's. It must've been only one second but it felt longer until Blaine cleared his throat and pulled away. Sam let the pudding lay where it was and quickly got up.

"I need to go to… somewhere… the Coach, right."

He went out as fast but inconspicuously as he could and forbid himself to think of either what just had happened or why his heart was pounding as violently as it did. No. He needed a letterman jacket, nothing else counted. Now!

* * *

"Hey, guess what dude!" Sam said as he came down the stairs and saw Finn walking down the hall.

"I just joined synchronised swim…"

"Sh! Keep your voice down", Finn interrupted him. "Do you want anybody to hear you?"

"Yeah! It means I get my letterman jacket!"

"Dude, you're in synchronised swimming and Glee club, it's like some kind of weird death wish!"

"Swimming is sexy", Sam said. Everybody knew that!

"Not if it is synchronised", Finn said. He patted Sam's shoulder and went on another way.

"I'm not worried", Sam said (to himself but that was cool). He saw Rory at his locker and smiled even though he had his back turned to Sam.

Splash! Ice-cold sticky stuff burned its way into Sam's eyes while some jocks laughed.

"Uhuhu, did you see that? Synchronised Slushing!"

"Oh my God, Sam, are you okay?" Rory asked. He dried Sam's eyes with a tissue, and while getting slushied was never nice Sam appreciated the attention it got him.

* * *

The next day the Glee club called in Artie for a 'Becky-vention'. Especially Puck, Finn and Santana weren't happy about the fact that Artie had been seen with said girl the evening before in Breadstix. Artie on the other hand called them hypocrites for saying Glee club was nice to outsiders but totally screwing that up when it came to Becky. He might have had a point there.

This week's assignment was to find the perfect proposal song with that Mr Schue could ask his girlfriend to marry him. And, of course, how could it be different, it was Sam's input that made them succeed.

"Synchronised swim-dancing. Yeah, why not" Finn nodded.

So they did it! (The swim number, that is, because it wasn't like Finn and Sam _did_ _it_, you know).

Mrs Pillsbury said yes, and the Glee club, still in the pool, started screaming and applauding.

"One day, I'm going to get married, too", Sam said to Rory.

"Is that a proposal?" Rory laughed.

"You wish!" Sam grinned. But he nudged his boyfriend and before going for a little kiss.


	12. Michael, The Spanish Teacher, Heart

Oh hey guest! Thanks! I'd answer you in a pm but that's kind of not possible anon so let me say: I try to not influence that characters itneraction and I honestly think Kurt and Sam aren't really the best match for each other on a long term. They really are too different. I like to think that I don't pull the strings here but let the characters act and everything... but of course I'm writing it so... yeah... idk. Thanks for reviewing anyway.^^

**Michael**

Sam started to get what Blaine had meant with Finn giving him crap. Not that it happened anymore (they must've talked it out) but Blaine was kind of Mr Schue's new favourite (besides Rachel, of course) and got a lot of solos and Sam could easily see Finn getting jealous about that.

This week Blaine made Mr Schue let them have Michael Jackson as assignment. So some of them sat down after school in the Lima Bean and discussed the King of Pop.

"Since you guys are so jazzed about him I think it's a good idea for Regionals", Rachel said.

"That might not be the best idea", an approaching stranger said. He wore a Dalton jacket so he probably wasn't a stranger to Kurt and Blaine.

"Hi Blaine. Hello everyone else", he went on.

"Do you life here, or something? Seriously, you are always here, Sebastian!" Kurt stated.

Artie turned to the boy. "Why don't you think it's a good idea?"

"Because _we_ are doing MJ for Regionals. You see, the Warblers are first position and as soon as I heard what you're plan was I changed our set list accordingly."

"I'm sorry, how did you hear?" Rachel asked.

"Blaine told me this morning", Sebastian said. "I called for a tip how to get red wine out of my blazer pocket and he went nonstop going on about it."

"I might have mentioned it", Blaine said unaffectedly.

"How often do you talk?" Kurt asked.

Santana and Sebastian had a little cat fight before Sebastian told him he was the new captain of the Warblers and also tired of playing nice.

When he had left the whole group fell silent.

"I can't… I gotta go", Santana said. She got up, still shaken from having been told to shut up.

Sam shifted on the sofa he sat on with Rory, while Artie and Rachel stared into space. Eventually Kurt shook his head.

"So what? We're not going to let our spirits get dragged down by that smug bastard, right?"

"Sebastian is just…"

"No!" Kurt held up a hand, not looking at Blaine. "Don't even think about defending him."

Blaine briefly lifted his eyebrows and drank from his coffee.

Okaaay. Sam exchanged a look with Rory, glad they still were in the honeymoon phase.

* * *

Everybody in Glee club was furious. Tina wanted to complain to a committee about Sebastian and Artie announced he wouldn't let this happen to them.

And then Blaine had the most glorious ideas of them all how to win this fight.

They were meeting with the Warblers in a deserted car park. Wearing black because that's what gangsters wore to sing it out.

But things got out of hand. That Sebastian guy was meaner than expected. At the end of the song he threw a Slushie at Kurt. Blaine got in the way and hurt his eyes pretty bad. The next day Kurt informed them that he needed to get eye surgery and they all were baffled beyond everything. How could a Slushie do that?

"There was stuff in it, rocks or something", Finn said. "He wanted to do that damage!"

"Unless you have any proof they tempered with the Slushie the police aren't interested in getting involved", Mr Schue said.

"Sebastian is evil" Kurt claimed. "He needs to be expelled."

Mr Schue didn't like the idea of fighting back and told them to let the system handle this. Oh wow, he was chickening out, who would have guessed.

* * *

This day Finn, Rachel, Rory and Sam went over to Blaine's house. Rachel brought chicken soup, Finn brought him DVDs that featured eye pads (because Blaine was wearing one) and Rory and Sam brought chocolate (simple but effective, right!?).

It got pretty crowded in Blaine's room but he was very happy to see his friends. They sang a get better song and toasted to Kurt for being a NYADA finalist.

Two days later Santana called them all into the choir room to tell them she had evidence. She had been able to not only get a confession from Sebastian but also to record it. It was the break-through… or so you would've thought.

"No. No, we're not doing that", Kurt said.

"Why?" Santana asked unbelievingly, expressing the feelings of the whole group. Or, well, at least Sam's.

"Kurt, this isn't violent, this is clever! I taped it to my under-boob", Santana said.

"So he gets kicked out of school. But the Warblers still do Michael and they still beat us. Look, I wanted Sebastian's head turning on a spit but I realised that you can't go looking for payback every time the world wrongs you. With all the haters, you wouldn't have any time to do such amazing music. So we're not going to punish the Warblers, we're teaching them a lesson. And I think I know how."

They went to the auditorium, where the Warblers actually were waiting for them. Sam didn't ask any questions and he went with the performance but when Kurt at the end threw the evidence tape (their only one!) to Sebastian he couldn't believe it. They could at least have kept it to have some blackmail material over him! What. The. Hell?

* * *

"Hey, it's really nice of you to come by… all on your own?" Blaine's voice lifted at the end of the sentence, making it sound like a question. He still wore his eye patch, now post operational.

"Yeah, well, I was in the neighbourhood", Sam said. He gave Blaine one of his old comic books that he could bear to lose and sat down on the chair beside his bed.

"It's the issue where Wolverine gets momentarily blinded but all his others senses increase and he's like even better than with eye-sight. Of course he gets it back and the end of the story so no worries. Oh, damn, spoiler alert."

Blaine laughed and looked at the book. "Thanks, Sam."

"So, how is your eye?"

"It's good. They gave me a lot of medication so I'm getting through all the surgery pain." He pointed to his bedside table where a buttload of drug boxes lay. Blaine put the comic next to it and turned to Sam.

"And… why did you really come by?"

Sam looked at his hands. He wanted to tell Blaine so badly about what had happened in school today. About what Kurt had done. But it wasn't his place to do so, and it would hurt both Blaine and Kurt.

"It… I… wanted to tell you we fought the Warblers today and we won. We can do Michael at Regionals."

"Hey, that's great!"

"Mhm." Sam hummed agreeing, still looking at his hands. Damn, he shouldn't have come. What was he supposed to say now? He and Blaine weren't like the best friends ever, they talked only when they accidentally met. Or, you know, with other people around them.

This was awkward.

"How are things with you and Rory?"

"Oh, good, good", Sam said. "We kiss a lot and stuff."

"Great."

Sam looked around the room, not really focusing on anything. Yeah, coming here had been a mistake. He took a deep breathe.

"I should g–"

"Can you do an impression to lighten up my spirits?" Blaine said at the same time. Sam closed his mouth and frowned, not sure if he had heard right.

"What?"

"You can do impressions off the bat, can't you?"

"Yes but… Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Would I ask otherwise?"

Sam still wasn't sure if Blaine meant it or only tried to be polite. The only person liking his impressions was Rory so far and he never asked for it. He laughed and tried to copy Sam but if it didn't come up, well, it didn't.

So Sam went through his entire programme of 'making eye-surgery-patients laugh' and it worked, Blaine giggled pretty much. It was adorable and also made Sam kind of proud. But he hadn't known how exhausting it could be to do one impression after the next. Eventually he came to the point where he had enough.

"Now, that was the last one, Mr Anderson", he said.

"Oh? Just one more? Only one?" Blaine pouted.

"No! You need your rest, too, you know?"

"Sam, I sat in bed _all week long_. I don't think I can rest anymore."

"When will you be back in school? Next week?"

"No, my doctors said I need some more days to heal. I don't know when."

Sam nodded and got up. "Okay then, get well soon. Oh God, that sounded stereotypical."

"As long as you mean it."

"I do."

Only after many heartbeats did Sam realise the awkwardness of him standing there and just staring at Blaine, so he waved goodbye and turned to leave.

**The Spanish Teacher**

"The Spanish teacher is hot", Rory said.

"Because he is European?"

"Because he is hot."

They were lying on Sam's bed. Who cared about homework, calling dyslexia counsellors or working out (though Sam would catch up on that later) when you could make out with your boyfriend?

"Ola amigo", Sam said. Rory laughed.

"Not quite the same."

"What? Are you saying I'm not hot?"

"Of course you are!" Rory caught his lips and sucked on them. Yeah, that was better. And with Rory Sam was allowed to go a little further as with Kurt back then so he let his hand glide down.

* * *

In Glee Sam decided to fulfil Mr Schues assignment of Spanish songs by singing to Rory. In Spanish (duh). Okay, he kind of changed to English in the middle, and also changed the song, but things like that just didn't _matter_ in Glee club, you know?

Otherwise only one important thing happened this week: _Taint Misbehavin'_. It was about hygiene.

"But I stopped washing down there because it seemed kind of gay" Puck complained when Coach Beiste gave them the pamphlets and told them to wash themselves.

"I thought that's what the hair was for", Rory said, eyes glued to the text. Sam grinned and nudged him. He knew a good way to put the fun back (or put it there for the first time) in washing.

"Huh. Lift and scrub. Who knew it was so easy!" Finn said.

The Coach glared at them once more and then left.

"But it _is_ gay", Puck mumbled protesting when he went to his locker.

"I for one think it's only gay when you do it with another guy", Sam said, looking at Rory.

"Don't", Finn said. "At least don't talk about it when I'm here."

"Then go away" Rory suggested.

Finn briefly thought about it and then seemed to decide that was a good idea, so he went away.

Now the thing with Rory was… everything was easy-peasy. That was good, of course. Sam had found him right when he had come back after having been away for half a year and their relationship had made his Christmas one of the best ever and had helped him get his feet back on the ground. But Sam knew he didn't love him. In the beginning he had had butterflies in his tummy, yeah. And having someone to life a fulfilling sex life with is great, too. But… and Sam hated that he thought that, feeling as if he never was content with anything but somewhere along the way he had realised it wasn't love.

He didn't even know how he could tell if it was love or not when he never had been in love for real. Crushes were great and so much fun but they tended to fade away after some time. Sometimes after a week (or a day, like with Jesse), sometimes after many months (like with Kurt). So since Sam knew now that being jealous and possessive wasn't a sign of true love, as well as having good sex, he wondered what on earth was.

But then again he was a teenager and should enjoy easy life as long as he could. He knew one day it would all change again. He'd grow up and would have things to do. Responsibilities, bills to pay, all that jazz.

So yeah. He'd hold on to sixteen as long as he could. (Even when he would turn seventeen.)

**Heart**

While eating the Valentine's pralines that Sugar had placed under his chair Sam thought about Blaine. When would he come back? He'd miss all the fun if he stayed home sick much longer. For one, Sugar (a new rich girl, she had been in Glee club a several times but until now Sam hadn't really noticed her) had just given Mr Schue the money they needed to get to Regionals. So no working for travelling costs this year, yay!

Second, Sugar threw a party on Friday and invited them all on one condition:

"You have to bring a date. No singles allowed because they are sad and boring and don't exist in my world."

"But you are single", Mercedes said.

Sugar looked over her sunglasses. "Not for long."

This week Mercedes also remembered that she had once started the 'Gods Squad', a singing club. She claimed that Sam was in it. He couldn't remember having joined a club with that name but then again there had been a time last year when he had gone through school without actually noticing what was going on due to too many work-outs and too less food. (He had needed to get the quarterback position, man!)

That's how Sam met Joe. He was weird, he was strange, he was home schooled – and so hot! Like, Sam couldn't pay attention to the club (again) and just imagine what it would feel like to mess around with his dreads or lick over those tattoos. And he didn't even feel guilty. That was the problem with easy-peasy relationships, they kind of were replaceable.

* * *

The next day Sam went to Rory at his locker.

"We need to talk", they both said at the same time.

Sam frowned. "Why?"

"No, you tell me why first."

"No, you."

Rory sighed. "I know it is Valentine's Day on Friday and it seems cruel but –"

"No, not cruel. Totally normal you want to jump on everybody at this time of the year", Sam quickly said.

Rory studied him. "So who is it you want to break up about with me?"

"Joe."

"I'm into Sugar. And I know I have more chances than Artie."

"You know what? Let's do it like that: We go our separate ways and try it but if by the end of the week we both happen to be still single we go to Sugar's party together."

"Agreed! But there is no way Sugar will reject me over Artie", Rory said.

"Alright. Deal."

They shook hands and Sam went home for that day. Now. That must have been the easiest break up in the history of mankind. Fantastic.

* * *

Okaaay. Finn and Rachel announced they would get married. Kurt and Quinn tried to talk them out of it, and Kurt had even talked to their parents to prevent it. If someone asked Sam he'd had to say Kurt was the only one in his right mind here. Getting married at their age that was… if not illegal at least highly stupid.

During lunch break Mercedes came up to Sam.

"We have to sing to Rachel!"

"Uuuuhm… I'm over her like… since a long time."

"Wait, what? You never have been together with her."

"We went to prom together."

"So did we", Mercedes reminded him.

"Oh. Yeah. I'm over you, too."

She rolled her eyes and dragged him to the school yard. At least Joe was here, too. After the performance Sam went to talk to him.

"So… how are you?"

"I'm very good. God bless you", he said and walked away. Barefoot.

Huh. Could get more difficult than Sam had imagined.

* * *

The next day Sam found out Rory's real reason for leaving him and it made him angry.

"Why didn't you just say you left because you're staying visa hadn't been extended and you have to go back to Ireland?" he asked him after Glee club.

"What? No, that's not the reason. I still have three months here. I just wanted to announce it early."

"Uhu! I don't believe you. You're heartbroken, admit it."

"No."

Sam snorted and went to his Gods Squad meeting. He'd quit this club as soon as he could (one Glee club really was enough) but now he wasn't in the mood to.

They discussed if they could sing to gay people, though Sam didn't understand why.

"We're in Glee club, we sing to gay people pretty much all the time", he said.

"I know we don't have a problem with it, I just wanted to check Joe is okay with it."

"My philosophy is judging nobody but… I have never met anyone who's gay", Joe said.

Oh, yeah, Sam had forgotten: There were people in this world who were actually straight.

"Oh, I guarantee you have", Quinn said and grinned at Sam. He refused to come out right here, right now and also he restrained from sticking out his tongue at her.

* * *

On Friday Sam saw a big scary monkey running through the halls. He frowned, wondering if he had hallucinated it. But when he rounded the corner, there he was again. Giving a balloon to Kurt.

"What… was that about?" Sam asked when the gorilla had gone away.

"Oh", Kurt said with the most flattered voice ever. "It's Blaine. I mean, it's my '_secret admirer'_…" He made quotation marks in the air. "But I know it's Blaine. Isn't he the most romantic guy ever?"

"Yeah, I guess", Sam said, swallowing down the lump in his throat. Just when it reached his stomach it turned to lead and made him sick. But he should be happy for Kurt! He had a great boyfriend, good for him! Sam would find someone soon, too. Someone just as romantic as Blaine. And as nice, friendly, cute... Someone like him, yeah. Maybe Joe would turn out to be the right guy, hopefully! Sam didn't want to be alone on yet another Valentine's Day.


	13. Heart, On My Way

(Heart)

Friday came and Sam was not only still single but also had given up on Joe. He wasn't in the mood for love anymore, he wanted to stay home and eat chocolate. Rory was with Sugar now but that wasn't it. Sam didn't know what exactly was going on. He just knew everything had changed yesterday after he had talked to Kurt but it really hadn't to do anything with Kurt, that he knew for sure.

Still, Mercedes made him go to the party. When Sam asked what about '_no singles allowed'_ she said Sugar made exceptions for the God's Squad.

So, not in the best mood (but looking smoking nonetheless because he would be on stage) he went with Finn to Breadstix. It was all red and hearty, and Finn immediately strolled to Rachel when they arrived. Sam went to the stage that had been set up and looked around. He nearly got a heart attack when he saw Karofsky sitting there on a table, right next to Kurt.

He questioningly looked at Kurt but he wouldn't pay attention to him. Okay. Sam would have to wait for information a little while longer. But he couldn't help to wonder… what about Blaine? And oh, he'd miss the party now. Maybe Sam could go visit him again next week.

They performed a song from Santana to Brittany and then Sam tried to lighten his mood with food (that was okay on special occasions) while Sugar announced a special guest.

It was Blaine! Rachel, Mercedes and Brittany were on stage while Blaine hopped around the room, all together singing '_Love shack'_. He sang to Kurt and to pretty everybody else, too. Sam clapped his hands with the rhythm like everybody else, lost in the moment and so glad to see Blaine up and healthy, without his eye-patch.

One time Blaine came to Sam's table. While still singing he grasped Sam's hand and pulled him up. Sam's mouth got all dry and his heart beat double time though he couldn't tell why.

The party went on until early morning. First everybody danced and sang but with passing time more and more people left and the remaining ones sat on tables, talking. When Finn told Sam he'd go home and asked him if Sam would come with him, he declined and said he sure would find somebody to drive him home. He hoped for Blaine because he still was here, too. The funny thing was, so was Karofsky. No, wait, the funny thing was he and Kurt talked like old friends. Blaine shot them a few doubting glances but as long as he didn't jump up and strangle Karofsky Sam figured everything was good. His own mood had lightened up, too. Obviously, because why else would he stay longer than necessary?

"You won't believe it but I missed school", Blaine said.

"I do believe you. Three weeks lying in bed I'd miss the greatest hell myself", Sam said. He sucked on his straw (some sweet punch that seemed to be non-alcoholic) and stared to the dance floor. Quinn and Joe were slow dancing, and the music came from a recorder by now.

"Why aren't you sitting with Kurt?" Sam asked all of a sudden. It wasn't his business, alright, but he still was curious.

"We broke up."

Sam chocked on his punch and Blaine had to hit his back extra hard before Sam could breathe and talk again.

"What? When? Yesterday he told me all about the Secret Admirer stuff you send him."

"That's just the thing. It wasn't me. It was Karofsky and obviously, that's how you get Kurt's heart."

"But… but…"

"He took me outside about an hour ago", Blaine explained. "We didn't make a scene."

"But… Aren't you… like, heartbroken? Are you holding back your tears right now?"

Blaine shrugged. "Am I sad? Yes. Am I shocked? No, because I saw it coming. All we did was fight in the last weeks, well, before the thing with my eye happened. Do I feel lonely? Well."

He looked at Sam. "It's hard to feel lonely when I have company."

Sam held his look. Blaine's hat sat askew on his head and before Sam knew it he lifted his hand and corrected its position. Blaine's eyes shifted to Sam's mouth and while Sam knew from experience what was coming he wasn't prepared in the slightest for all those insanely crazy birds flying through his stomach as they kissed.

When they separated Sam had trouble picking up his breathing rhythm again. He wondered if he had eaten something wrong? But if so could the poisoning please wait until tomorrow because right here, right now was a situation Sam needed to have in his life.

"Now let me tell you the real reason I lashed out on you the first week you were back", Blaine said. He took Sam's hand on the table into both of his.

"You loved me?" Sam whispered.

Blaine chuckled. "Not quite. But you were so different, Sam, so… attractive. I couldn't deal with that especially with Kurt in the room, to whom I still felt connected at that point."

"Oh, how the tables have turned", Sam said with his movie voice. It wasn't a special impression but he remembered how much Blaine loved this and it didn't fail to work. They kissed again, and now Sam's mood was the highest ever. It felt like getting granted a wish that he had had for a long time though he had never consciously thought about it.

**On My Way**

In the next week Sebastian was back. Well, not in person but he tried to blackmail Rachel into stepping back from the Regionals performance by photo shopping a naked picture of Finn and threatening to put it online if she didn't.

"I'm going to beat that Sebastian kid up!" Finn announced pretty angrily and hurried down the stairs in the choir room.

"Guys, I contacted his headmaster…" Mr Schue started.

"Like when Sebastian almost blinded me? What did they do then? Same thing as they are gonna do now. Nothing!" Blaine said.

Sam wondered whether he knew about how Kurt had given the tape to Sebastian. But even now with their new situation it wouldn't do any good to tell him. It still was between him and Kurt.

"None of that matters now, anyways, okay? We're not going to let him beat us like this", Rachel said. "I'm gonna perform at Regionals."

"Even if he's gonna post a photo like this of me if you do?"

"Finn, I'm not gonna negotiate with terrorists!"

Sam saw the planned wedding going further away. Not that he cared about trivia like that. He had other things on his mind. He couldn't believe he was dating Blaine now. Like, whoa, he sure hadn't seen this coming. But somehow, deep down, he had wanted this for longer than he knew. He didn't know how long but he remembered the time when he had visited Blaine in his room and… there had been something between them on that day already.

'_New boyfriend, new chances'_, or what was that saying? (Was there even one?)

'_New boyfriend, new tasks_', maybe. Blaine was pretty obsessed with performing and winning and all that. Not that Sam wasn't into that but… Blaine took it all so _serious_. During lunch he presented Sam a new song in the auditorium and because Sam was kind of fascinated with his voice, expression and dance moves he didn't pull out his phone and played Angry Birds. Wasn't he the nicest boyfriend ever?

* * *

"David needs our help."

"Who's David?" Puck asked.

Kurt was standing in front of the Glee club the next day and seemed more than upset.

"My boyfriend", Kurt said. Heads turned to Blaine.

"Oh, hot damn, and I always thought your name was Blaine", Puck said and hit himself on the forehead.

"Don't play dumb, Puckerman", Kurt said. "Blaine and I are over. That's old news."

"Yeah, three days old", Blaine mumbled.

"Anyway, David gets bullied at his school because he is gay and… after everything that happened…" Kurt started to cry, and Rachel jumped up to comfort him.

"We've been through so much", Kurt sniffled. "And he doesn't deserve this. Not after everything…"

"Hold on a minute", Santana said. "All I hear is blah, blah, blah. So you have a new gay lover since _three_ days and you cry as if you're about to lose a yearlong friend?"

"It's Karofsky", Blaine said. "David Karofsky."

Santana's mouth didn't look like she would ever be able to close it again. Of course she eventually did.

"Oh, I see, we're dating our bullies now? So Blaine, your new boyfriend is your special one-balled doofie who tried to blind you, am I seeing that right?"

Blaine rolled his eyes while Kurt immediately jumped in to defend Karofsky.

"He truly regretted everything he did to me. He cried because of it, he knew he was projecting his pain onto me! We talked a few times about it before he told me he loved me."

"Oh, yeah, then that's okay", Santana said, face still disbelieving.

"He tried to kill himself!"

The Glee club was silent. Mr Schue chose that special moment to come in.

"Guy, Regionals is approaching and… What's up, guys? Kurt, everything okay?"

Kurt shook his head and ran out.

* * *

"We should start today's meeting with praying for Karofsky", Mercedes said during God's Squad. No, Sam hadn't quit it. He had even used it as an excuse to not go with Blaine to the Lima Bean and got the suspicion that he was freaking out about how fast things went with Blaine. But he could think about that later.

They talked about Karofsky's situation and gay bullying and Sam realised how lucky he had been. For one, he was bi so he could always decide to show his 'straight side' and let his 'gay side' be a secret. But also if it wasn't for that. He had been in an official relationship with Kurt and Rory at this school in the past year and had never gotten bullied. Lucky indeed. (Well, his family had lost their house and all money so maybe God had kept things equal enough there.)

Suddenly Kurt showed up. He argued with Quinn who showed little compassion for Karofsky until the justified question came up why Kurt was here.

"I invited him", Joe said.

"I heard you were praying for David and after everything we've been through I didn't have anywhere else to go", Kurt said, his eyes red from crying.

They went to the hospital after school. Sam still didn't like Karofsky but he respected that Kurt did and he kind of understood that he had gone through a hard time.

* * *

"So, Sebastian Warbler took back everything", Santana said the next day. "At least Karofsky's suicide attempt was good for something."

Kurt glared at her, and then Mr Schue said they should all come to the auditorium.

"Are you okay?" Blaine asked Sam as they went there, falling back behind the others.

"Mh, me? Yeah. Why?"

"I couldn't help but notice that you distanced yourself. I mean, I know it came out of nothing and if you need time, if you want to wait and see if…"

"You just came out of a pretty long, serious relationship", Sam said. "And you came to me like one hour after it was over? I don't want to be your rebound guy."

Sam didn't even know he was thinking that until he had said it out loud.

Blaine didn't even protest, and that was what really hurt. Sam bit his lip, gulped down the pain and nodded.

"Let's better wait and see", he said.

"Sam…"

"Auditorium, here, see?" Sam pointed at the door they had arrived on and ignored Blaine's sparkling eyes.

Wow. That had got to be the briefest relationship that ever existed in the history of mankind. Three and a half days. If Sam hadn't been close to crying without having an explanation for it (he hadn't cried about Lucy, Brian or even Rory after _months_ of being together) he would have called the Guinness Book and asked for an entry.

It was kind of hard finding one good thing in his life that he was looking forward to right now but that was exactly what Mr Schue wanted to know of them. So Sam said the most obvious thing that came to his mind, about how he wanted to buy his family a house. It wasn't really something personally for him but Mr Schue didn't seem to mind.


	14. On My Way, Big Brother

(On My Way)

Later that week Regionals were held in the school's auditorium and much to Sam's surprise Finn and Rachel announced to marry right after it (they had fought so much! But maybe they really _really_ love each other or something?). Everyone was invited this time (despite to their first announcement where they said non-supporters were not invited).

So after they had won (it was a piece of cake with the Warblers playing fair) they first went home to get dressed and then right to the institution of the wedding where they met with the others again.

"Is this, like, really happening?" Sam asked Puck.

"I'm sure we are all hallucinating. Do you remember taking any drugs?" Puck said. "Artie, do you?"

"I do remember", Rory said. "I ate a mushroom yesterday that Brittany gave to me."

"Oh, that explains a lot" Puck said.

Sam grinned, until his eyes found Blaine. He sat with the girls on red leather chairs without chatting to them but reading a paper. Now, Sam had had some time to think about everything but that hadn't helped anything. He hadn't found an explanation why Blaine (the Dalton enemy from last year!) was all of a sudden so important to him. He had searched every memory of the past year with him but nothing had indicated anything. Except of course the fact that he was a good hearted, smart and funny boy that had shown Sam kindness when he had wanted to punch him. Or the fact that he liked all the things Sam liked, supported all his decisions and honestly cracked up at every tiny impression Sam made. (The latter was especially important.)

But on the other hand the fact remained that Blaine and Kurt had broken up literally one hour before Blaine had kissed Sam. Everything screamed rebound here.

The couple was ready to get married but Rachel insisted on waiting for Quinn.

"She'll be here every minute, she just texted me", she said.

"Rachel, may I use the opportunity for some words? You look lovely and I don't want to steal your and Finn's moment but I figured since we're just waiting now I could maybe shorten the time", Blaine said, getting up from his chair.

"Oh, Blaine, that is so kind of you but she will be here, like, any second!"

"What I have to say won't take too long, or at least I hope so, and it will prepare the mood for an emotional wedding."

Rachel sighed. "Okay, then, go on." She sat down in a chair while all the boys plus both her and Finn's parents stood waiting impatiently. Man, Blaine really had some nerves, speaking about himself now when everybody was here to see Rachel and Finn getting married.

"Thank you, Rachel. And Kurt?" Blaine turned to the named boy. "Whatever I'm saying, don't take it personally, okay?"

Kurt's eyes widened. "Depends. What are you going to say?"

Blaine turned to the waiting people again. Sam crossed his arms and exchanged a look with Puck.

"It's gonna be something gay, isn't it?" Puck whispered.

"Dude, it's Blaine" Artie said.

"We all have gathered here to watch the union of two loving souls", Blaine began.

"Okay, I take everything back", Puck said. "It's going to be super-duper-gay."

"Rachel and Finn, your love truly inspires me", Blaine said. "And you are right. Life is too short to not live every day." He took a deep breath. "Lately I have been restless and I felt kind of lost despite having a loving boyfriend."

Kurt frowned behind him but Blaine didn't turn around.

"It wasn't his fault, he did everything he could. We drifted apart, like it sometimes happens with couples."

Kurt looked like he wanted to say something but Mercedes shook her head to him.

"Maybe I am to blame for holding on to something and ignoring the fact that it was time to move on. But now I see that was a big mistake. Because I have not only ignored the bad things, I also ignored new love."

Blaine's eyes wandered to Sam and from one moment to the next it got way too hot in the room. Sam tried to keep breathing.

"Sam, I know to you it seems rushed. But truth is while I was home sick after my operation all I did was thinking about you, waiting to get better so I could see you again. Just one glimpse of you made my day bright as the sun itself and after you visited me I was the happiest man on earth. I felt home and safe just thinking of you."

Sam felt Puck, Artie and Mike's eyes on him and now that Blaine came to him, more heads turned. The mentioned sun rose in Sam, too, because what he heard was all he had ever wanted. All he had ever wished for and now there was a person in front of him offering it to him. It must've been his birthday and Christmas at the same time.

"I'm not saying this to ask anything of you because if you need time, I'm all okay with it. But I want you to know that you're not my rebound guy, not now, not ever. I'll wait for you as long as you want me to and –"

"Enough talk", Sam said. He closed the distance to Blaine, took his face in both of his hands and kissed him. Blaine laid his hands on Sam's waist and smiled but that didn't keep Sam from kissing him. People cheered and applauded, someone (most likely Puck) whistled.

And then the receptionist came running into the room with a phone in her hands.

"Quinn Fabrey is lying in the hospital!"

**Big Brother**

"I can't believe Quinn had an accident", Blaine said the next week.

"I can't believe she's in a wheel chair", Sam said. "But at least Rachel and Finn put off their wedding because of it."

"I can't believe no one pays any attention to Dave anymore", Kurt said. Blaine patted his back comfortingly while Sam put a dietary supplement pill into his mouth and swallowed it with water. Staying healthy: Check!

"I can't believe we have Bootie camp with Sue Sylvester after lunch", Blaine said.

"I can't believe I have the cutes boyfriend ever", Sam said and put his arm around Blaine. Another three days were over and Sam hadn't had any more issues yet, yay!

"Awwwww", Blaine said, returning the half-hug.

"Better prepare yourself to get offended to death now", Kurt said as they got up and headed to the auditorium.

He was right. Sue Sylvester didn't do anything else but scream at them. Bootie camp used to be fun but now Sam stood there and had to listen to this shit.

That's why they went to Mr Schue afterwards and complained. He had to be good for something, right?

Kurt did the most complaining because Blaine received a text and then was busy with his phone. When they went out, Sam asked him about it.

"Oh, my brother is in town and he's taking me out to lunch."

"Wow, great! I didn't even know you had a brother! There's so much I don't know about you, we have to change that", Sam said and opened his locker.

"Oh, trust me, you already know my brother."

"Blainey!"

A man came up and Blaine turned to him to hug him. Sam couldn't believe his eyes, he actually really knew this guy!

"Is this your boyfriend?" he said, now turning his attention to Sam.

"Yes, it is. Sam, this is my brother… Cooper Anderson."

Sam shook his hand. "Oh my God, you're the guy from the guy from the Free Credit Rating Today commercials!"

"Guilty as charged!"

"I love those commercials! The jingle is my ringtone!"

"Excuse me!" Sue went between them, put a hand on Cooper's shoulder and went a few steps away with him.

Like in trance Sam started at them.

"Yeah, it's always likes that", Blaine said, gesturing to them. "People always recognise him."

"Man, you so could have bragged with him in school, why didn't you?" Sam asked.

Blaine just shook his head. Cooper came to them again and they went to the doors. Sam didn't really listen to what he said because he was busy observing Cooper's hair. He needed to know what products he used. And what aftershave. Although… no, better not the aftershave, sure Blaine would find it weird to smell the cologne his brother was wearing on his boyfriend. Okay, but his clothing style! Sam could copy it without problems, right?

At the doors Sue came to them and took Cooper away again.

"Yeah… that's why I never really talk about my brother", Blaine said.

"He's great! I already love him!"

"Huh."

"Will he take me to lunch, too?"

"I don't know, why don't you ask him? Hey, why don't you start dating him instead of me, wouldn't that be great, too?"

Sam frowned. "Blaine, if I didn't know it better I'd say you are jealous."

Blaine rolled his eyes and left the school. Sam looked after him, at Cooper, and then followed Blaine outside. This was a bit ridiculous. Everybody would be excited to meet a TV star!

"Are you mad at me?" Sam asked when he arrived at Blaine's car. The black haired boy leaned against it.

"No", Blaine sighed. "It my issues with Cooper, not with you, I'm sorry."

"Good!" Sam smiled and glanced around. Not many students were here, and no jocks, so he stepped to Blaine and kissed him.

* * *

The next day Sue Sylvester wrote '_Lazy Idiots'_ on the board.

"Your leader Will Shuester had informed me that my teaching methods are harsh and too extreme. So I've decided to show you what a real artist looks and acts like."

She came closer to them, opening her arms. "Ladies and Gays. As my gift to you, which you do not deserve, I give you porcelain's famous brother…"

"Actually, it's my brother", Blaine said.

"Cooper Anderson!"

Cooper came to the front, kissed her (yes, on the mouth, WTF) and then faced the group.

"Guys. It was just a few years ago that I was sitting in a sad room like this. With dreams like yours that I thought would never come true. But you know what? They did."

Such a good role model! Sam clenched his fists in excitement.

"So tomorrow, at Sue's insistence, I will be teaching a master class in acting for anyone who's interested in becoming successful in the business like me!"

The group applauded. Rachel complimented the Anderson's brothers so that Cooper talked about how he and Blaine had been famous in their neighbourhood for their Simon Le Bon impressions. Sam listened up.

"You did that? I need to see that", he said to Blaine. All the others wanted to see him perform with Cooper, too, so eventually he gave in and joined his brother downstairs.

They were spectacular! Blaine actually jumped on the piano, and ran up the stairs and danced around and sang. As it ended everybody was crazy about the Anderson brothers and applauded loudly.

"That's my boyfriend!" Sam shouted with both hands around his mouth.

After school Cooper actually asked if Sam wanted to come with them to Breadstix but Sam declined. First because he thought it would be nice for Blaine to have some alone time with his brother, and second he really needed to get behind some stuff like homework, dyslexia counsellor pleasing and working out. He had spent a little too much time with Blaine on the weekend and he couldn't afford to lose track of those things.

* * *

The next day Cooper gave his acting class as promised. Sam had to say it was fantastic. But Blaine seemed to be down all the time. When Tina lay dead on the ground (her acting was fantastic, too!) and Cooper played a police officer along with Rachel and Blaine things got a little out of hand because Blaine improvised his text.

"You're my brother!" he shouted. "Can't you just support me?"

Now the thing was, Cooper said it was good improvising except that Blaine had forgotten to point his finger at him. But Sam wasn't so sure… Blaine looked really sad, man.

"Let's move on to a little acting exercise I like to call the Emotion Tornado!" Cooper said. Blaine shot him a disappointed look while Sam felt a little helpless. Was he supposed to do something, or say anything?

Because he wasn't sure Sam stay sitting on the ground and pulled out his phone, sending '_r u ok?_' to Blaine. Then he watched Blaine reading his text. He lifted his head and shook it. Sam got up and let the others practise how to express intense feelings on their own.

"What is it?" Sam asked as he came to the piano where Blaine was standing.

"He always just tells me what I'm doing wrong", Blaine said. "Yesterday, too. It was horrible."

"Oh…" Sam mad a sad face and rubbed Blaine's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault", Blaine sighed. He hid his face in his hands.

"Should I hug you?"

Blaine looked at Sam over his fingers and nodded slightly. So Sam did it. Nobody paid them attention anyhow.

* * *

On Wednesday Blaine didn't come to lunch and afterwards Sam found out that he had been all alone in the auditorium, singing an angry song to Cooper.

"Huh, okaaay… let's keep that to ourselves, shall we?" Sam suggested.

Then they had Bootie camp with Sue Sylvester again.

"First off, please don't ask me which celebrity is the father of my baby, please. I will release that information once I finalised my book and movie deal. Now! It has come to my attention that I have been a tad harsh. To some of you I was being kind, for instance I said absolutely nothing about the implausible sexual tension between Cooper Anderson's brother and the Kentucky Fried stripper." She pointed between them and Sam very hard tried to hold back a proud smile.

When she walked away from them Blaine glanced at Sam, who shrugged. It wasn't his fault that everybody saw their amazing chemistry, right?!

However. It was _so_ weird was it that Sue Sylvester was pregnant! But Sam couldn't ponder long about it since she started pushing them around soon after her speech. Of course Sam was good in dancing, she couldn't say anything. Except some stripper jokes (didn't she _ever_ get tired of those?) but those were born out of envy.


	15. BigBrother,SatudayNight,DanceWithSome1

(Big Brother)

"What is this?" Sam asked. Finn frowned at him.

"I just told you. Puppies."

Sam took one of the stuffed animals and looked at it.

"I know what animal it is supposed to be but… what the hell is it?"

Finn sighed deeply, took a Coke out of the fridge and started to make a sandwich on the counter.

"Rachel made me win them at the carnival. I thought one would be enough but she kind of wanted them all. Well, until she actually had them. Then she chose the ten cutest and told me I could keep the rest."

"Can I have one?"

"Knock yourself out, dude. But –" Finn turned around and pointed at Sam (he sure had listened to Cooper!). "That doesn't mean I love you."

"What? Not? Damn." Sam pouted and enjoyed Finn's pale face until he couldn't hold it anymore.

"Don't shit your pants, man! It's for my boyfriend. He had a bad week with his brother and everything."

"Why? Cooper Anderson is amazing. He's the best brother ever, isn't he?"

"Blaine sees it a little differently."

"I never really got Blaine" Finn mumbled and turned his attention back to his sandwich.

* * *

"Sam! Samsamsam!"

Sam turned around, hiding the teddy puppy behind his back.

"What is it!? I have urgent business!"

Cooper dragged him to the side and whispered into his ear.

"I'm waiting in the auditorium for Blaine. Will you tell him?"

"Whatever!"

Cooper pointed with both fingers at him and ran away. Huh. Maybe he actually was a bit strange.

Blaine was at his locker. Sam let the puppy look at him and say something funny but somehow Blaine didn't really react to it and went on as bad spirited as he had been all week long.

"Look, I get it. Family stuff is hard. Stevie is an annoying little prat but… at the end of the day I miss him", Sam told Blaine. "You only have one brother Blaine, don't give up on that."

"He's the one that's leaving! Huge audition, haven't you heard?"

"Actually he hasn't left yet. He's in the auditorium, hoping that you'd come and talk to him."

"I've tried talking to him! It doesn't really work with him."

"Maybe talking isn't the answer. Maybe you need to show him how you really feel in the best way you know how."

Blaine stared into air for a moment, then he abruptly turned around and went away.

"I love you, too!" Sam called after him. He looked at the doggie in his hand. "You and I, we still have each other, right?"

He agreed. Sam called him Snoopy and found out that he was the youngest of three siblings so he knew exactly what Blaine was talking about. Actually he sympathised with Blaine and said the oldest siblings were the worst and most spoiled one. Now, Sam did not agree with that. In fact, the oldest had it the hardest, having to help caring for their younger siblings and all! It was the youngest who were the spoiled prats. Yup. Better give Snoopy to Blaine, they would become the best friends ever.

**Saturday Night Glee-ver**

History. _Boooring_.

Blaine must've thought that too because just when Mr Goose talked about some inquisition Blaine started tapping his foot and dancing and eventually even singing.

"_My baby moves at midnight… goes right until the dawn…"_ He used his pen as a micro.

Sam hid his face in his textbook. "No I don't", he mumbled. Blaine didn't listen. He jumped up and danced through the class and soon was joined by Mike and Brittany.

They danced out of the room. Sam sighed and looked around. No one even looked up. Normally it was his duty as Glee member to join in with any silly and however spontaneous dance number (the teachers never minded) but this had literally come out of nothing.

He went to the auditorium where all other Glee members had gathered together, called here by their sixth music sense.

"Sam, don't you have History with them? The song is even called _'You Should Be Dancing'_! I'm so disappointed in you!" Rachel shook her head.

"History, exactly! That means I was sleeping", Sam defended himself before he turned his attention to the stage.

Mr Schue was totally excited about the Disco groove the three had chosen. After his mandatory anecdote about it Puck drew his attention to the main problem:

"Disco sucks!"

Everybody not on stage said it and Sam was kind of proud of the group nurturance. They were the best team ever. Well… except Blaine, Mika and Brittany, apparently. Such a pity. Sam really had liked Blaine.

"To the choir room, now!" Mr Schue ordered.

"What the hell?" Blaine asked Sam as he came down the stage.

"If you're referring to Sam not joining in with spontaneously dancing, I agree. If you're referring to the '_Disco sucks'_ statement I don't agree", Rachel informed them. Sam rolled his eyes and waited until she had left before he got up and walked out with Blaine.

"You could have warned me beforehand", he said. "But then again Rachel is right. Disco sucks."

"No, it doesn't!"

"Guess we have to break up then."

"_Or…_"

Blaine whispered into Sam's ear, and Sam grinned. "Okay. I settle for this."

* * *

If you applied logic Sam wouldn't have been able to tell how a disagreement about a specific music style over that he initially had wanted to break up could be mended with an unscheduled make-out session but then again Sam wasn't the biggest fan of logic. And he hadn't _really_ wanted to break up. Just with Blaine you sometimes had to get creative because that boy always scheduled kisses and Sam on the other hand always forgot to think about if he wanted to make out the next day or not. He lived in the moment, okay!?

"I have an idea", Sam said. "Or rather a request."

"Nothing down the waist", Blaine mumbled while nibbling on Sam's neck. Oh, how he and Kurt must've been the best couple ever.

"We could set a certain time a day for making out. So it's scheduled but I don't have to think about it."

Blaine leaned back and looked at Sam. "You want to make out _every day?_ Are you insane? I have stuff to do. I'm a busy man."

"Three days a week?"

"Two days. Wednesday and Saturday. Plus we can leave the option open for every second Sunday if we feel like it."

"That would be pretty spontaneously."

"I'm not _that_ rigid."

Sam swallowed down the 'Yes, you are' on his tongue. He watched Blaine getting off him and pulling his agenda out of his back. A pen appeared, too.

"So, I'm planning it for the rest of the month and then we talk about how comfortable we are with that arrangement", Blaine said while writing.

"Okay." Sam smoothed out his shirt and folded his hands behind his head.

"Don't you want to write it down in your calendar, too? Especially the Sundays can be tricky to remember."

"Nah, I'm good."

"Well…." Blaine turned a page. "Making out with Sam… making out with Sam, question mark…. Making out…" He mumbled while writing. Sam watched him. This time he had really gotten the craziest boyfriend ever, hadn't he? Blaine appeared so reasonable and tidy and yeah okay, he was all that but maybe a tad too much. Well, at least he liked the same things as Sam, not as Kurt had. And he didn't insult him like Santana had.

"Maybe…"

"Yeah?" Blaine looked up.

"Maybe you could plan in for my Birthday next month that I can touch you down the waist?"

"Nope." Blaine wrote on.

"Damn", Sam muttered. It had been worth a try.

* * *

The next day a disco dance floor had been set up in the choir room as Sam walked in. Blaine had been running around grinning like an idiot the whole day and then spent the lunch break on a secret mission in the choir room. Now Sam knew what it was. A dance competition. Oh… great. He didn't want to win a silly suit.

But then Mr Schue and Sue started dancing, as did Joe and Blaine. What Joe could do Sam could to much better! When it was his turn he entered the stage with a perfect body role, uh yeah!

Afterwards Mr Schue announced that Santana, Mercedes and Finn were the three final candidates. Sam was okay with that.

**Dance With Somebody**

Whitney Houston week. Mr Schue talked about honouring her memory and then how the seniors would graduate in a few weeks and changes, yadda yadda. Sam wasn't a senior so he didn't really listen. Blaine wasn't, neither, so they wouldn't have to think about breaking up or anything.

"How great is this week's assignment!?" Kurt said as they left Glee club. "I'm going to _Between the_ _Sheets_ to find music. I gotta figure out what song I want to do. I could do '_So emotional'_ which was obviously written for me, or '_One Moment In Time'_ which was also obviously written for me."

"Well, you can't really go wrong", Blaine said.

"I think I could kill two birds with one stone. I could do one for the assignment this week and one for my NYADA audition. You come with me, right?"

Sam thought if he had anything better to do than going to a music store in the afternoon. Not really. He looked at Blaine, who shook his head at Kurt.

"I can't today."

"Well, Sam?"

"Let me come back to you with this one."

Kurt agreed and went away.

"Is it weird that he's the ex of both of us yet we still hang out with him?" Blaine asked.

"Did you say no because you don't want to?"

"No, I really have to catch up on a lot of things."

"Do you mind if I go?"

"You don't have to ask for my permission to go anywhere."

"No, but as you said: He's my ex. You could be jealous. In fact I think you should be jealous. Right now. Go on."

Blaine smiled and shook his head. "Just go ahead. Text me when you're done, okay?"

He went away and Sam leaned against the lockers. "Yeah, I'll do."

* * *

Sam went through the country music section. Yeah, yeah, he should be looking for Houston songs, too, but he had the silent hope that he could just take a song that Kurt didn't want and everything was good. When he looked over to the other boy he was chatting vividly with a stranger who had blonde hair, big glasses and who actually laughed and yelled so loud the whole store could hear him. It was about Whitney and her perfect love songs. Then Kurt took his phone and tipped in something.

Now wait a minute. Was Kurt giving that guy his number? Wasn't he still together with Karofsky?

When the guy had left Sam walked over.

"Who was that?"

"Oh." Kurt turned around. "Chandler Kiehl. He's auditioning for NYU and he'll be in New York, too, well, if everything goes right that is."

"And you just… I mean it's none of my concern but… You gave him your number?"

"Look. I'm not planning on going out with him. Just a friendly chat one time or the other. He really liked my outfit, very flattering."

"But… David?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Sam! You are right, it _is_ none of your business!"

Kurt took some singles and went to the cashier. Sam shrugged and followed.

* * *

Two days later Brittany was performing '_I wanna dance with somebody'_ and pulled people on the dance floor. First she took Mike, then Blaine, and other people got up and joined, too. Kurt actually pushed Sam onto the dance floor so he figured he wasn't mad at him.

But Sam was still curious. He saw Kurt with his phone pretty often during the last days and he remembered that's how it had started with Kurt and Blaine, too, while Kurt had still been with Sam. He sensed a pattern here.

So another day later Sam went to Kurt as he was on his locker.

"Wow, dude, since when is Whitney Houston hanging here?"

"Since this week? Seriously, Sam, I change it every week. Some people like diversity."

His phone buzzed and Kurt got it out, smiling while looking at it.

"Ooooh, I know what that is! Blaine sends me cute text messages all the time. Usually they are puns about my hair or attempts to get me wear a bow tie but I still appreciate the effort."

"It's not from Dave", Kurt said.

"So… who is it?"

"The guy from _Between the Sheets_. He's nice. We just joke around, it's sweet!"

"Uhuh."

"Okay, look." Kurt held up his phone and started reading while Sam leaned towards him.

'_Are you an astronaut because your smile is out of this world'_

"Oh, are you kidding me?" Sam grasped the phone before Kurt knew what was going on and read some texts.

"You have been going at this for two days now?"

"It's nothing", Kurt said. "It's fun! He makes me feel good."

"David is supposed to make you feel good!"

Sam gave the phone back to Kurt who silently sighed and looked aside.

"You said that Blaine sends you text message every day? Does he compliment you? Constantly trying to get into your pants?"

"The pant thing works the other way around but yes, he does."

Kurt closed his locker but still it was the moment the secret came out. He and Dave weren't doing so well. They were like an old married couple, like siblings. Et cetera. He claimed the texts with Chandler were innocent but he also wouldn't show them his boyfriend. Huh.

They went to Glee club together and sat down. Sam was a little distracted by Santana and Rachel performing '_So emotional_' together. He had forgotten how hot girls could be. And together even more so! But then he caught a glimpse of Kurt being busy with his phone again and leaned over to read his text from Chandler.

'_I'm pretty sure you were Cleopatra in another life. You've got a great asp!'_

"Uhuh, totally not flirting", Sam said.

"Shut up."

* * *

Later Joe asked Sam all kind of questions about God and sex. Okay, actually it was about Quinn. Sam told him that sex wasn't as bad as some Christians said, and he also let slip that he wasn't a virgin anymore. Blaine might need some time but Sam had been a stripper, and stripper did things! (Well, if they had boyfriends at the same time.)

In the evening Sam prepared some cheese snacks and crackers (okay those came from the supermarket) and wanted to serve it to Blaine. But Blaine sat on Sam's bed and looked like he was about to cry.

"What has happened?" Sam asked.

"You tell me. What is going on between you and Kurt?"

"Me and – what?"

"Since you were at _Between The Sheets_ with him you two were inseparable and you barely looked at me."

"I – no. We talked, yes, but about _his_ boyfriend and Chandler and…"

"And today in Glee club you sat together and giggled. I'm not blind, Sam."

"Look, when I said you should be jealous I didn't mean… I didn't try to tell you something if that's what you think! Everything is okay!"

"It's not right… but it's okay?"


	16. Dance With Somebody, Choke, Prom-asaurus

Seeing that I will be offline the whole weekend or maybe even more days I decided to spam you a bit more tonight. Thanks for reading btw^^

(Dance With Somebody)

"This song is for anyone who has ever been cheated on", Blaine started his performance the next day and send a gloating look to Sam. He rolled his eyes.

"This is insane, I didn't _cheat_ on you."

Of course Blaine wasn't to be stopped by now and he sang _'It's not right but it's okay'_. Most people in Glee looked reproachfully at Sam as if he actually had run around screwing his ex. But he hadn't!

So then Sam countered with '_I have nothing'_ (it was Kurt's idea even when Sam felt a little guilty asking Kurt for advice right now but what could he do, all Whitney songs he knew had already been sung).

It still was the silliest fight he had ever been in. He hadn't done anything!

* * *

"This is my goodbye presents for you!" Puck gave out girly looking bags in the locker room with shot glasses in it. Sam liked presents but he wasn't in the mood to celebrate now. Blaine was here, too, and kept glancing at Sam. He didn't seem too angry anymore after Sam's song but Sam didn't know who had to make the first step towards each other now.

"Guys, could you maybe… please… I'm trying to honour our bromance here so eye-fucking is kind of ruining it for the most of us" Puck said.

Sam snapped out of it and turned to him.

"Huh, what?"

"I was just saying…"

And he went on, while Sam looked at Blaine again. Not intentionally but he was sitting there on a bench just a few feet away so what could he do?

After the other boys had gone away Sam stayed where he was. Blaine got up.

"I kind of overreacted yesterday…"

"Yes. You did. I mean, you could go ask Kurt but I want you to believe and trust me when I say there is nothing going on."

"I do." Blaine came to him, eyes all big again but this time without crying. "I do believe you. And I trust you. I'm sorry."

Sam breathed in with relieve. "Okay. I'm sorry, too, when I somehow gave you the feeling that I don't desire you anymore. Because I do."

Blaine glanced around before he came even closer and leaned to Sam's ear.

"I know it's only Friday but how about later we go to your place and do…" Blaine leaned back and looked at Sam's mouth.

"Things?" His eyes wandered up until they met Sam's.

"Things?" Sam said without breath.

"Stuff, you know… down the waist."

Sam gasped for air. "Really? Unscheduled _and_ down the waist?"

If this was what he got after a fight maybe they should fight more often.

Blaine waggled his eyebrows and went to his locker.

Sam couldn't wait for school to end on this day.

**Choke**

After the weekend Kurt came to Sam and Blaine. It had been a successful weekend (and what a great coincidence it had also been Sam's birthday) and if Sam had suspected he was in love before he now simply _knew_ it. So he wasn't very happy so see Kurt, the fight factor of last week.

"You'll be happy to hear I told Chandler to not write me anymore, Sam. And I told Dave about it. He forgave me, well, after we went to couples therapy."

"That's great", Sam said. He leaned next to Blaine's locker while his boyfriend did something there and now slightly turned his head to listen to Kurt. Sam laid his hand on Blaine's arm and moved his fingers over it to made clear who he belonged to.

Kurt sighed, holding some books in front of his chest.

"You two just wait for the first fight, it's not gonna be pretty."

"Blaine and I never fight", Sam said.

"Oh, but you should. After all it shows that you care. Hey, can I ask you to listen to the song I chose for my NYADA audition later?"

"Of course we'll hear it", Blaine said.

"Great!"

When he was away Blaine chuckled. "We never fight? Kurt was there last week, you know"

"It's not my problem if he has issues with his memory."

Kurt had chosen '_Music of the Night'_ of '_Phantom of the Opera'_. They applauded and told him they loved it but Kurt started to talk about how he'd better sing it in German. Or in the nude. Sam would've preferred the first option if he had to choose.

* * *

Later they were working out. Blaine boxed while Sam showed Artie how to train best with weights. Then Finn drew their attention to some problems Puck had with graduating and hadn't shown up at school for some time. So they made up a plan.

"Listen. Puck's scheduled at the Schneider's pool at two p.m., what means he should be there at three thirty. Sam, you're the driver, so stay in the car."

"Can I put on the radio?"

"Rory, you're in the lock out… here!" Finn pointed at his drawing on the board.

"What am I looking out for? I mean besides Puck", Rory said.

"Blaine, Mike and myself are trying to very carefully lay an attack on Puck, here, here, and here."

"Is that a bear I'm hiding behind?" Blaine asked.

"No, no, it's a bush", Finn said.

"It looks like a bear", Blaine said.

"But it's not a bear."

"Maybe a shrub", Rory said.

"What's the difference between a bush and a shrub?" Sam asked.

Finn kept on talking about how Artie had to roll his chair into the pool but then Puck showed up all without their doing. Boring! They then promised to help him study for his test so that he could graduate, and that was even more boring.

* * *

Kurt's NYADA audition was in the auditorium (Sam didn't ask why) so they went to see it on Wednesday. He started out with '_Music of the Night'_ but then changed his plan and sang '_Not the boy next door'._

Whatever, you know? Sam secretly held Blaine's hand in the dark of the auditorium so he didn't care much about the show. Rachel, who had been supposed to be Kurt's Christine and wasn't needed anymore came to sit with them.

Good friends as they were they also stayed for Rachel's audition. There was a break between the two auditions and Sam decided to try something. He leaned to Blaine.

"You know, it's pretty dark so people wouldn't see if we made out."

"Not now, Sam."

"I think it'd be great."

"Of course you think that. If it was up to you we would make out twenty-four-seven."

"What's wrong with that?"

"The weekend has gone to your head, hasn't it?"

"One little kiss, come on…" Sam pursed his lips and made smacking noises. Blaine laughed and looked away. But Sam didn't stop.

"You're crazy, you know that?" Blaine said.

"Yeah, crazy about you."

"Awww. Okay. Just one kiss though."

"Or two."

Blaine cupped Sam's face and met his lips.

"Again, thank you so much! Oh! Ah, great." Kurt's voice got louder and footsteps were approaching.

"Now, I seriously hope that's not all you did during my audition", Kurt said as he sat down next to Sam. He leaned back and sighed.

"We were listening", Blaine said. "You were really great."

Finn showed up, too. Then Rachel choked during her song. It was the first time Sam heard her making a mistake while singing and it was the biggest catastrophe ever. Kurt immediately ran behind the stage to support her, while Blaine and Sam left the auditorium in a shock like state.

**Prom-asaurus**

The prom was drawing nearer and Brittany announced that hair gel would be banned. Blaine was the only one who laughed frantically at that.

"I'm actually not joking" she said. "Hair gel was not invented until almost thirty million years after the stone age. And frankly, I don't like the way you look. Therefore, anyone who shows up to prom wearing hair gel will be turned away at the door. I hereby declare this to be the best prom ever!"

Sam had to admit he was excited. He had never seen Blaine without hair gel. He simply refused any requests of that. So Sam nodded approvingly until, of course, Blaine turned to him to complain.

"She can't do this! Can she? She can't, right?"

"Oh, uhm, it's gonna be okay, honey."

"This is serious matter!" Blaine grasped his bag and ran out before everybody else had. Some people looked questioningly at Sam but he just shrugged. He wasn't responsible for all of Blaine's moods, was he?

* * *

The next day Blaine had an announcement for Sam.

"I'm not going to prom. I will be looking like Medusa, as I already told Kurt and Rachel yesterday in a jam session. Rachel had the great idea of throwing an anti-prom party and I hereby officially ask you to be my date to that."

Sam frowned and turned away from his locker. "To an anti-prom party?"

"Yes! She'll be explaining it later in Glee club."

"Uhm… No. I want to go to the real prom, actually."

Blaine glared at him as if Sam just had said he was going to the moon for a year or so. He didn't blink and he didn't look away and Sam started to feel uneasy.

"Well… okay. I mean it's not even my senior year. I guess I can go with you."

Finally Blaine started to breathe again. He actually wiped sweat of his forehead before he grinned and hugged Sam.

"Thank you! I love you!"

Blaine stiffened and pulled away, and Sam quickly pretended like he hadn't heard it by rubbing his ear.

"I'm so... I think I have water in my ear I… I just came from synchronised swimming."

Blaine's nodded with red cheeks, cleared his throat and looked at the ground. Sam took the book he needed and closed his locker. Then he stood there, looking at Blaine.

Oh, what the heck.

"But for the record, me, too." He winked and turned around before Blaine could say anything.

* * *

In Glee Rachel officially informed everybody about the anti-prom party and most of the people thought it was a stupid idea. Except Puck and Kurt, who were both in.

"Kurt, will you bring Dave?" Blaine asked when Santana was talking how it was all about Rachel again.

"Of course. I mean I haven't asked him yet but he will come. He's my boyfriend after all."

"Mh, yeah, know the feeling", Blaine said with a smile to Sam. There was nothing in the whole world that made Sam prouder. He didn't need prom or anything as long as he was with Blaine. Yup. Cheesy but true. Strange, actually, if you thought about it. And weird, funny, odd, queer… everything. But he really, really meant it.

Things with Blaine were different than everything Sam had experienced until now.

* * *

"I need to get dressed, you know."

"No, you don't."

It wasn't very often that Blaine was the one not wanting to stop so who was Sam to insist? Except that he actually really needed to get ready for prom so they would be on time. The two of them were like half of the guests Rachel had for her anti-prom party so being late would get noticed by her.

Also, Sam didn't know how he was always the one on the bottom when making out but he remembered it had been like that with Kurt, Santana and even Rory, too. Guess he liked the feeling of being all enclosed around the other person but since he had just today discovered that it was really important with Blaine maybe he should man up and proof to him that Sam was worth staying with?

"I help you dress", Blaine decided. He took Sam's hand and pulled him up. While Blaine took out the suit Sam had gotten from Kurt (hey, they had the same size, okay!?) for that day Sam took off his clothes. Well, except his shorts, that is. They had gone farer than usual last weekend but not _that_ far.

That's why Sam felt his cheeks getting all hot when Blaine turned around and his eyes wandered over him.

"You have seen me in the locker room before, don't be like that", Sam quickly said.

"Do you really think I check you out in the locker room?"

"Well, don't you? I do. You, not myself, that is. Although I often enough check myself out, too."

Now Blaine was the one blushing. He cleared his throat and held up the suit.

"Here. Get dressed, so we can go."

* * *

They entered the hotel room and it was damn silent.

"Oh, look, there's chocolate on the pillow!" Kurt exclaimed and went to it.

"And we got room service!" Blaine took the menu from the table. Sam sat down on a chair before Rachel told him to go away so she could park her jacket and purse on it. Then he stood there awkwardly with Puck and Karofsky who tried not to look at each other due to the fact they hated each other.

Becky, who was Puck's date, screamed and ran to a candy box. Actually, good idea. Sam went there, too.

"So, uh, what shall we do now?" Puck asked. Kurt sat down on the bed.

"Duuuh. Play strip poker. I brought condoms!" Becky said.

"Becky? Four of five guys in this room are gay, remember?" Kurt said.

Blaine suggested watching TV, Puck just wanted to eat, Rachel thought of a fashion show. Kurt was happy to jump to this idea. Puck put Rachel's bag on to the table and sat down on the chair, what brought him a glare from Sam. But then he decided to sat own on the second chair, you know, seize every opportunity and so on.

"You know, I could show you guys my prom dress, I brought it in my car", Rachel said.

"Worst anti-prom ever!" Becky declared.

"I'd like to see it", David said, still standing in the room.

"Thank you!" Rachel said. She took her purse and left the room. Kurt proudly nodded at his boyfriend. Blaine actually turned on the TV and sat down on the edge of the bed. Sam changed places to the bed, too. He sat at the head of it while Kurt sat on the other side.

One hour later they were still like that except that Rachel was in the bathroom now and David sat on a chair as well as Puck, staring each other down.

"The passive angry lesbian is the best", Blaine commended on the TV programme.

"Becky is right. This anti-prom sucks", Kurt said.

"It's not that bad", Sam lied. "But if you ever want to check out real prom… I'd be okay with that, too."

"I will not give in to Brittany's insane ban on hair gel", Blaine said, turning around and propping himself on his arms. "Freedom of use hair care products is in the bill of rights!"

"Didn't the founding fathers all wear wigs?" Sam asked.

Blaine sighed. "You haven't seen me without an enormous amount of hair gel in my hair, it's really bad."

Sam leaned forward and whispered: "I so don't care." Blaine smiled but before he could answer a knock came from the door. Becky opened it screaming, thinking it was the room service. But it actually was Finn, who had come to tell them that prom sucked without all of them.

Kurt and Dave were the first ones to get up and changed their minds after one boring hour of anti-prom. Sam locked eyes with Blaine, raising his eyebrows. Eventually Blaine sighed and got up.

"Okay, then. Maybe you can pretend I'm an ice-sculpture and smuggle me in."

"Sure, I do that", Sam said.

Only Puck and Becky stayed back. Sam was excited to see Blaine without gel in his hair. It probably would look hot.

"Sam! You're just here in time for our performance!" Rory exclaimed when they entered. But Brittany was there, too. She didn't let Blaine in, she really went through with it.

"Don't be afraid, you can do it", Sam said, patting his shoulder. "I'm back in five minutes."

"I hope you'll recognise me."

"If not by your face I still have other part of you to look at."

Blaine tried to hit him but Sam was too fast. So he sang with his friends and it was the perfect song choice.

_You're insecure,  
Don't know what for,  
You're turning heads when you walk through the door,  
Don't need makeup,  
To cover up,  
Being the way that you are is enough._

At least Sam had thought it was perfect because it would encourage Blaine, right? But when the performance ended he still hadn't shown up. Sam went to the entrance and looked around.

And then eventually he walked in, slowly and looking around for reactions. Some mean kids were giving him disapproving looks. Sam couldn't help but stare at his hair, too, but because it was so unusual. It was big, messy and _so curly_.

"Don't make fun of the new kid with the hair balloon. It's hair bullying." Brittany suddenly appeared on Sam's side.

"It's not a new kid, it's Blaine without gel", Sam said.

"Is it really that bad?" Blaine asked.

"Yeah, you're Mr Broccoli", Brittany said.

"It's not that bad!" Sam insisted.

Still, Brittany said Blaine had made his point and she allowed him to gel again.

"I'll be right back!" Blaine said, looking as relieved as never before. Now, this was ridiculous. Sam jumped to him and kept him from going away.

"Wait, Blaine, wait."

"Sam, don't torture me…"

Sam felt like hypnotised. It might've been inappropriate but he touched Blaine's hair.

"So soft", he mumbled. Eventually he snapped out of it. "I love finally seeing the man behind the product! And I want everyone here so see how proud I am of my brave, handsome boyfriend."

Blaine looked like he was about to cry but this time not in a bad way.

When prom king and queen got elected it was Finn and Rachel. Rachel hadn't even been nominated so she looked very insecure going on stage, probably thinking about last year when Kurt had been elected as a cruel joke. The crowd cheered to her, though, nobody laughed.

Then some Glee members sang '_Take my breath away'_ and the rest of them danced. Luckily both Sam and Blaine were free so they enjoyed their slow dance. Sam had Blaine's curls under his nose the whole time and they kind of made him want to press his face into them.

"Your curls are sexy. Is it okay if I start obsessing about them?" Sam asked.

"Oh God, I created a monster", Blaine sighed. "You were never supposed to see them."

"But Blaine! Eventually I would have, anyway. You can't hide them all the time and what if we get married one day and wake up next to each other every morning?"

Blaine leaned back and looked at Sam, who quickly bit his lip. Crap. He talked too much shit sometimes. Now, he couldn't take everything back because that would've been just as bad so he bravely smiled on.

"I will pretend I didn't hear that", Blaine said.

"Okay, good."

They continued the dancing, and Blaine leaned to Sam's ear.

"But just for the record: If that happens I guess I'm okay with you seeing my curls every day."

Sam smiled. Some evenings were pretty perfect, weren't they?


	17. Props, Nationals, Goodbye

**Props**

Nationals were approaching again. Sam remembered last year when afterwards he had had to move away from all of his friends. And he remembered Blaine driving him around even though they hadn't been very close. But now they were and Sam just had to know:

"Blaine, were you secretly in love with me since the day we met?"

"You mean since you came into my room at Dalton and told me I should keep my hands off of Kurt?"

"No, I mean since... when was the first time I was nice to you?"

Blaine sighed and put his pen down. They officially were at the Lima Bean for a studying session because Sam's dyslexia counsellor had claimed he wouldn't work with students who only checked in like twice a year. Such a liar, Sam had at least checked in every three months!

"That actually was here, I think", he said. "The day Rachel kissed me and you went after me to the bathrooms."

"Damn, I should have asked you before: Are you bi now or…?"

Blaine laughed. "Oh Sammy… no. No, I'm not. I'm perfect gold star gay."

"Of course you are. But even if you were straight you would've fallen for me. It's a given."

"Anyway, that was the day when I started thinking if maybe we could've been something in another life. Also we had kissed the night before and it wasn't that bad…"

"Oh, what a compliment."

"If you had asked me out before Rachel did... who knows what would have been? But you didn't and soon after that I started to have feelings for Kurt."

"You can skip the Kurt part of our story", Sam said.

"Mmh…" Blaine chewed in his pencil. "Then it was mostly little occasions like… you know, that tie you wore to prom. It was cute. It was just thoughts then. But I really started to feel something when I drove you home after your date with Jesse. I was so embarrassed because I told you you look hot."

"What? When… you did? I don't remember that."

Blaine shrugged and drank from his coffee. "Of course you went away after that and I forgot everything until you came back. I knew you were trouble the moment you walked in the choir room."

"Oh, you! Quoting songs for me. Now I have to buy you a drink."

"I already have one. What about you?"

"I have one, too!" Sam held up his coffee, and Blaine rolled his eyes.

"When did you start to have feelings for me?"

"How can I know, I'm not good at remembering things. I know that I felt something when I visited you at home because of your eye operation. I was so upset about everything, what happened to you and how Kurt just gave Sebastian the evidence and… everything."

Blaine frowned. He laid down his pencil and leaned forward.

"What evidence?"

"Uhm. What?"

Shit. This was so last year! Or, you know, some months ago.

"They had evidence that Sebastian did it on purpose?"

Sam opened his mouth, and closed it. Eventually he said: "No. Don't change the subject. I was just saying…"

"No, you don't change the subject!"

"I don't want to talk about it", Sam whined.

"Please, tell me. I won't be mad at anyone, it was long ago. I just want to know."

"Okay. Well. Santana taped a recorder to her under-boob and made Sebastian confess he put rock salt in the Slushie and she gave the tape to Kurt and didn't want to give it to the police but defeat the Warblers fair and that would've been okay, maybe, but then he gave Sebastian the tape even before we won the competition or anything."

Sam took a deep breath and nodded. There.

Blaine stared at his homework. "Why would he do that?"

"Because he loved you so much."

Blaine didn't react to that.

"Alright, I'm going to buy you cake now", Sam said. He got up to do exactly that and when he came back, he sat closer do Blaine and tried to talk about other things.

* * *

In Glee club they talked about Nationals, of course. Sue Sylvester was back (well, she had never really left, had she) and gave them some great probs. It was a Darth Vader helmet and leg warmers, from which Sam liked the first one the most and he wore it the whole Glee lesson. Well, when Tina had her break down or whatever that was Sam clapped it open so he could frown at her.

Later he and Blaine were at the mall, getting a chair massage for one dollar each. Sam would have liked to wear the helmet the whole day but somehow Blaine didn't approve of it and said he'd not come with him if that happened.

Tsk, and Sam had thought Blaine was okay with nerdy stuff. Seriously.

"Wait, is that Tina?" Blaine asked. Sam opened his eyes. Oh well, there their crazy Asian Glee friend came down the escalator.

"Tina! What are you doing here?" Blaine asked.

She still was very upset (Sam didn't know what about but did girls need reasons to get bitchy?) and didn't want to join them for hot pretzels.

"That's what I call negative vibrations", Sam said. But as an answer Blaine jumped up and soon Sam saw what had happened: Tina had fallen into the fountain. But luckily nothing really bad had happened to her.

* * *

The next day they were practising dancing with the helmets. Sam, of course, was a natural but it was difficult still because after a time those things got _heavy_. Luckily Kurt came up with an idea. He didn't tell them what it was, though, and afterwards Sam and Blaine went to ask him.

"Easy. I'm going to spy on Vocal Adrenalin", Kurt said.

"How is that going to help us win?" Sam asked.

"Because we're prepared then!" Kurt said. "And we can be better than them without any props!"

He rolled his eyes and walked away. Blaine looked after him and crossed his arms.

"I still don't get why he would give incriminatory evidence to Sebastian just like that."

"No, no, no! I told you because you said it doesn't matter anymore!"

"But it does! It's mean, it's… I just want to know what he was thinking."

"Well, ask him if you must. But blame Santana if he asks you who told you."

Blaine rolled his eyes and went away, too.

* * *

The next day they were watching the video Kurt made of Vocal Adrenalin. Sue insisted they needed a drag guy to win and she wanted Kurt to do it but Kurt refused. Blaine shot him offended glances now and then and Sam just wished he hadn't told him the Sebastian stuff.

Sue then came up with the idea of dancing with midgets. Sam had the feeling things really got out of hand when Puck walked in dressed like a woman and called himself Lola. For the purpose of winning as he declared but Sam had always known Puck was a man of secret kinks!

However, Mr Schue wasn't okay with that. He banned all props and made them practise choreography until the end of the week. When they got into the bus that would bring them to Nationals Sam was half relieved because the stress of rehearsal was over and half still freaked out because stress of Nationals was just about to begin.

**Nationals**

Road Trips were so cool! First of all Sam was with his friends for several hours, stuck in one place. And that was good. Second, driving made him sleepy so it was relaxing, too. After the first hour of screaming and singing Sam spaced out and stared out of the window. That made him even sleepier so he laid his head on Blaine's shoulder (it worked with some strains) and closed his eyes.

They arrived in Chicago in the evening. It was already dark and the city was full of colourful lights. Mr Schue didn't put them on lock down in the hotel room (had learned his lesson the hard way) so they went out and took a look at the city before going to bed.

Sam couldn't sleep. He didn't know why but he just lay there in the dark and thought about the next day. Would they win this time?

"Sam?"

"Mh?"

Rustling in the dark, then the lights went on. Sam held a hand in front of his eyes until he got used to the brightness.

"I can't sleep", Blaine said.

"Me neither."

"Of course you can't sleep, you slept three hours in the bus. I didn't and I'm still too excited about everything."

Sam stared at the painting at the wall in front of his bed. Not only were they in a pretty neat hotel, they also had double rooms this time. No sharing with all boys, and all thanks to Sugar's money.

"You should sleep, though, tomorrow is a big day", Sam said.

"Do you want to make out?"

"What? Now?" Have Sam heard right? Did his ears betray him? Or maybe he actually was sleeping and dreaming.

Blaine shrugged. "We both can't sleep and we have a room to ourselves. Why not?"

That was enough invitation Sam needed. He was up and under Blaine's sheet before he could say 'National Trophy'.

"Oh. Hey", Blaine grinned and stroke over Sam's chest.

"You just can't keep your hands to yourself, Anderson, can you?" Sam whispered.

"Nope, you're right about that."

This time Sam was on top. It was a totally new feeling. The first few moments he had to deal with the fear of squashing Blaine, who wasn't exactly the biggest and strongest guy. But it faded away when Blaine pulled up Sam's shirt. Wow, nakedness! Seemed like this night wouldn't be as bad as Sam had thought.

Of course he was tired as hell the next morning. They practised all day long, and not a few fights occurred in Glee club.

But then. Then, oh yes… They won. Not only were they under the first three, no, they actually _won!_ Jesse St James with Vocal Adrenalin was there, too, competition and all but let's be honest, they never were real competition for the New Directions.

**Goodbye**

"Week of Goodbyes has arrived. Damn."

"It means only one thing", Blaine said. "My last chance to ask Kurt why he did it."

"Why he did what?"

"Gave Sebastian the evidence!"

"Oh, come on, is that really important? It's like, the newspaper from yesterday."

Blaine frowned at Sam. "It is important to me."

Being National Champions had changed everything in their lives. The school had welcomed them home with confetti instead of Slushies. They had a trophy that was forever theirs now. Forever and ever. It was locked away safely in the choir room and if anybody wanted to steal it they had to go past Glee club first. (But who'd steal a National trophy, anyway?)

"If it's important to you then I will ask Kurt personally", Sam said.

"No, I have to do that myself."

"Thank God! I'd hate asking him."

Blaine chuckled. They were in the Lima Bean, this time to just drink coffee. Sometimes even Sam needed a break from learning, especially when they just had won a national contest.

"Now, apart from the grudge I'm holding Kurt is our friend and I think we should give him a Graduation gift."

"I agree."

"I thought you would. So I already ordered monogrammed towels."

"Mono- What? That's lame!"

Blaine looked slightly offended. "It's what every boy dreams of."

"I sure hope you don't give me monogr… well, those towels for our anniversary."

"I gave you a chain with a B on it to our first month anniversary and you're not wearing it so…"

"It's _jewellery_. I'm not a girl. Plus I gave you chocolates-hearts in exchange, which was embarrassing in comparison. We're only celebrating the first year so that I can save money for towels until then."

"However!" Blaine drank from his coffee and started at the counter. "This week will be a hard one. Most of our friends will graduate, Rory will go back to Ireland and after summer we'll get a whole lot of new members in Glee club. We will be seniors. Everything will be different."

"We will be the leaders", Sam said. "The coolest couple in school, too."

"We will have to dress up for the graduation party even if we're not in the main focus."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling me I need to wear a bowtie?"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you."

Sam rolled his eyes. But since Blaine had granted him some bodily treats on the weekend he figured he could wear a bowtie once.

* * *

Sam couldn't believe this. He'd heard about time flying by if you didn't want it too but this was _insane_. The week passed like it was nothing. One day he was in a shop, wondering if he should get Rory an oversized American flag hat, the next it was Friday and the last day of school before summer had arrived. With it graduation day.

He wore a suit (Kurt hadn't asked it back and Sam figured he already had a new one so this one was his now) and a bowtie (Blaine's property).

After the big ceremony they all went to Breadstix. They had said goodbye with several songs during the week but they said it again, and it was still sad.

Sam had gotten Rory the hat and the Irish boy smiled frantically about it.

"How cool is that!? Thanks, Sam. I will never forget you, all of you! I will never forget America!"

"Stop it or I'll start crying", Sam said.

"You already are."

"That is a mean lie and not even true!"

But yeah, okay. Maybe Sam cried a little bit that day.

* * *

On Saturday they all met on the trail station to put Rachel in the train to New York. It was the first actual goodbye Sam had to say but this time he wouldn't cry. He wouldn't regret having taken all of his friends for granted the whole time and just now seeing how great and wonderful every single one of them was.

"We will see each other again. I'm sure we will!" Rachel cried like a girl.

Sam wasn't sure. He didn't know where he would go after school. New York seemed so big, so far away, so unreachable. But he didn't have to think about that right now. He watched Finn and Rachel kiss for the last time and then she got into the train. They had to separate, and that after they had wanted to get married. Rachel even had come here thinking they'd marry but Finn had tricked her into going to New York. This was so… so…

"Sam, sh, it's gonna be okay."

"What? I'm not crying!"

Blaine nodded and stroked over Sam's arm. And because Blaine needed the comfort (Sam saw it in his eyes), just because of this reason, Sam took Blaine's hand and held on to it.

"Things are getting serious, my friends", Finn said as he came back from his jog after the train. He wiped a tear out of his eye.

"No! We don't ever have to separate. We can lock ourselves in the Lima Bean and never ever come out again", Sam suggested.

"No, Sam, we're doing that in the choir room, everything is planned", Brittany said.

"In the school? Nah, I don't know", Sam said.

"No one will get locked away from their lives! Are you listening to yourself, all of you?" Finn said. "Yes, sometimes life hurts and you have to leave the people you love. But avoiding that isn't much better."

"Yes, it is", Sam whispered. Blaine squeezed his hand.

"Promise me right now that you won't ever give up on yourself", Finn said. Sam didn't really know what that got to do with the topic but he promised it.

Later they drove Rory to the airport. Sam had given up on his intention of not crying because everybody else cried, too.

"Rory! I never told you how much I love you. I didn't leave you because I wanted to screw Joe, I left you because I couldn't bear the big love my heart was feeling for you", he said.

"Sure, Sam. But I left you to get it on with Sugar, I'm sorry."

Sam nodded and blew his nose.

"Joe, huh?" Blaine said.

"This is not the time to judge my taste in men right now", Sam said. He hugged Rory and when they left the airport, their group was one person smaller again.


	18. Goodbye, Season 4! The New Rachel

(Goodbye)

The next one to go was Finn. He wanted to join the military and to be honest, that was the worst. Rory was headed home to his family, Rachel to New York to life her dream. Finn wanted to go to war!? Maybe he'd never return!

"No, Finn, NO! I forbid you to go", Sam said.

"I love you too, buddy."

"Sam had had a few rough days", Blaine explained the fact that Sam started to tie a yarn around Finn's wrist and then his own.

"No, I get it, I do", Finn sighed. "But I need to do this. I will be back, I promise."

When he tore the yarn from his wrist Sam felt as lonely as never before. This year he wasn't leaving his friends but his friends were leaving him.

* * *

It wasn't long and only Sam, Blaine, Artie, Brittany, Tina, Kurt and Santana were left. Kurt didn't know what to do since NYADA had rejected him despite his super-duper audition. Santana, too, didn't know what to do with her life but she announced she wouldn't stay in Lima.

"I think I'll stalk Berry in New York and make her life a bit harder. Can't let her off too easy, can I?"

"Aww, you love her", Blaine said.

"Here's what I'm going to do", Kurt said. "I'll apply for a job in the Lima Bean until I have new ideas about how to get to Broadway."

"You should come with me", Santana said. "Doing senseless things is still better in New York than here."

"I don't know", Kurt said. "I kind of want to have some more months with my family and friends."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Newsflash, Lady Hummel: Everybody wants that. But as Finn in a rare moment of brightness has put it that's not really helping you to develop."

"I can decide that for my own!"

So yeah, Kurt stayed. Sam didn't, at least not for the summer. He wanted to spend those weeks with his family, he had really missed them. His Dad was already looking for a job in Lima again but it wasn't that easy. Sam had told him it didn't matter, that as long as he had a good job in Cincinnati he should keep it because things like that weren't self-evidently. But if his family would move here, Sam would be really thrilled.

Still, as long as they weren't he would visit them over the summer.

Unfortunately that meant saying goodbye, too. Yes, only for six weeks but sometimes that could feel like a long time.

"I feel like I'm leaving for eternity", Sam said when it was time to go. His father had come here and was taking him home.

"It's only for the summer", Blaine said. "But don't forget to call. And learn, too."

"I will not learn during the summer, Blaine."

"Well, you should."

"Where are my monogrammed towels as a goodbye gift?"

Blaine shook his head. "I thought you found them stupid?"

"You could've broidered S&B into it. It would remind me of you during our long separation."

"Ever heard of Skype?"

But yeah. That' how Sam went home again.

* * *

"What did I miss, tell me everything", his father already said in the car.

"Wait… I had…" Sam counted on his fingers. "Oh, two boyfriends and not one girlfriend. That's not so much, right?"

"Did you set a goal?"

"Yes, I wanted at least three of each."

Sam's father nodded approvingly. "Seemed like you stayed a bit too long with your last boyfriend."

"Hey, you know what, that's okay. Blaine is something else. We already talked about marrying."

His father tore his eyes open. "What!?"

"Just kidding, I'm kidding! Oh my God, I'm seventeen! Seriously, Dad. Also, I'm not pregnant."

"Oh, well, good to hear!"

Sam didn't know whether his father was referring to the not-pregnant part or the marriage thing but he nodded along and leaned back in his seat. Oh yeah, it would be good to be back home.

"And you know what?" Sam's Dad asked. "I will get a job in Lima in two months!"

"Does that mean at the end of summer we'll drive to Lima all together? One big family?"

Oh wow! Could the summer get any better?!

**The New Rachel**

Sam was famous. And popular. The first day back at McKinley made him realise that. Girls wanted his autograph, girls wanted to listen to his impressions, girls giggled at him. Sam hadn't realised how much he had missed girls. He hadn't had a girlfriend in ages. It was about time.

He should maybe mention that Blaine and Kurt were back together. But it wasn't really important. Sam had been in Kentucky when Blaine had broken up with him via Skype and not seeing him afterwards had been such a great help. Sam just had turned to the girl next door and everything had been good. Yup. No biggie.

Glee club was really empty. It was only Sam, Artie, Brittany, Sugar, Joe and Tina now. Oh, and Blaine, but he was so small everybody overlooked him. Mr Schue was very optimistic they'd get new members in no time because they were _cool_ now. Having won Nationals and everything.

The first one already came in on Monday. Unique/Wade from Vocal Adrenalin (she/he hadn't wanted to put up with Jesse St James anymore and who would blame her).

"The competition for the new Rachel is already big enough", Blaine complained. He, Tina and Brittany all thought they could be the new star voice of Glee club.

Honestly, all that competition! Glee club was a team, man!

After school when the mentioned people were competing in the auditorium with Artie as their judge Sam went to the Lima Bean.

"How did you do it?"

"Excuse me? Do you want a coffee?"

"Oh. Yeah, Small Latté. So?"

Kurt prepared the ordered coffee for Sam and didn't answer.

"What about Dave?" Sam asked.

"David and I separated on mutual agreement. He's living in Chicago now and long distant relationships never work."

"And Blaine?"

"What about Blaine?"

"Oh boy, you love torturing me, don't you?" Sam said. "What did you say to make him come back to you?"

Kurt frowned at Sam.

"What the hell are you talking about? I'm seeing Chandler now. He hasn't gotten into NYU and is stuck here in Lima, and you know, Losers like us need to stick together."

"So… so… you and Blaine are not…?"

Kurt put the coffee on the counter and held his hand open.

"Four fifty. Did you and Blaine fight?"

"I… I honestly don't know", Sam said. He gave the money to Kurt and went to sit at a table.

When Brittany and Blaine came in the first immediately saw Sam and strolled towards him.

"Hey Sam! Artie has to think about it but I'm sure I will be the new Rachel."

"That's great."

"Hi", Blaine said somewhat more distant and sat down. Kurt came to their table to take their orders.

"What? You do that? Then why did I come to the counter?" Sam asked.

"Not my problem", Kurt said. "So who's new in Glee?"

"The auditions are Friday", Blaine shrugged.

"Boy, don't be too enthusiastic about it", Kurt remarked. Then one of the new mean Cheerios called him. When Kurt was gone Sam raised his eyebrows at Blaine and waited like five minutes before he eventually returned to look.

"What?"

"Why did you lie to me? You and Kurt aren't back together."

Blaine took a deep breath. "Okay, we're not. I didn't know how else to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

Brittany looked from one to the other as if it was a tennis match.

"Winning Nationals made me realise how much I want it. Fame and glory. I need to work hard on it, really hard, and I can't afford any distractions."

"So I'm a distraction? How about a loving, supporting friend?"

"You can be a friend, of course."

"Boyfriend?"

"Sam, please, don't make this hard for me."

Sam gulped down the strange lump in his throat. His question had been hypothetically, of course. He didn't need a boyfriend, he wanted a girlfriend now.

"Well. Alright. I have to focus on my career, too", Sam said. "And on being popular. Even when I already am popular. But you know. It can go away without work, and so on."

He nodded to Brittany and left the building.

* * *

The next day at lunch Sam noticed more changes in his friends. Tina had turned into an arrogant girl over summer (or had she always been like that? Sam hadn't paid her much attention) while Artie and Blaine also were a little bit… priggish. Sam wasn't. He had stayed so down to earth even with all the fame and – wait, what the hell was Unique/Wade doing?

"You can't wear make-up outside of Glee! You have to know how stuff like that works! It's like Game of Thrones!" he said, glancing around to see if anybody had noticed yet.

"Yeah! The peace between us and the popular kids is weak. Winter is coming. It's not gonna take much and we're going to be smacked down to the bottom again", Artie agreed.

"Maybe you should just save Unique for performances and be Wade the rest of the time", Blaine suggested.

She gave in and went away to transform into her boy-self again. Sam breathed in with relieve especially when some Cheerio and Football kids came to sit with them the next moment.

They started to make fun of the new lunch lady. That was not really cool… or was it? Sam didn't know anymore. Normally he'd say it was mean but maybe that was the price for not getting slushied every week…?

Artie eventually agreed with them and so it was settled. The Glee club was mean now.

* * *

On Friday they held the auditions in the auditorium. Sam chose to sit next to Blaine nonetheless because he was cool with it. He had stayed friends with Kurt and Rory, too, so they could do the same. Sam didn't want him back or anything.

There were some really weird kids and songs. Sam made notes about them because it was important. Then the first boy who actually sounded like something for them came on stage.

"He is so sexy!" Sugar said and Blaine hummed agreeing.

"No, he's not", Sam said.

"Yes, he is", Unique said.

Sam rolled his eyes.

"Sh!" Kurt said. Oh yeah, he was here, too. Sam didn't know why but who cared. (Nowadays he didn't care so much about anything, that's what cool people did.)

Turned out Sam was right because the boy – Jake – got pretty worked up about the fact they didn't want to hear all of his song and threw over a music stand. Well, who was _not_ sexy now, huh?

Then the girl who had briefly spoken to them before auditioned.

"She's cute", Sam said. He glanced to Blaine but he didn't react. Huh.

However, when her song ended Mr Schue applauded wildly.

"Wow! That's what I call star quality! What do you guys think?"

"She's good, she's…" Blaine cleared his throat. All the others weren't very enthusiastic, too. Now, this was nonsense, just because she could sing they were against her because they all wanted to be the 'new Rachel'? Stupid!

In the end she was the only one Mr Schue took in for Glee club and Sam intended to be nice to her even when no one else would be.

* * *

Kurt still hadn't left. He was organising sheets on the ground of the choir room when Sam walked in. Tina was just giving Artie a cupcake as a bribe and then Unique came in, wearing Make-up and woman's clothes so Joe asked what this was about.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Kurt spoke up. "This club is about diversity and acceptance! Or at least it used to be. And another thing, since when did everyone become so obsessed about who's the biggest star?"

"Since day one!" Tina said. "You and Rachel fought over solos for three years!"

They demanded an immediate decision from Artie about who the new Rachel was.

"After long deliberation and an online poll the new Rachel is…" Artie looked around the candidates. "Blaine!"

Oh, no. Now the madness would never end. Damn! Couldn't Artie just give the position to Tina, man?

Then Mr Schue brought in the girl from the auditions, Marley Rose. Sam decided that she's going to be his new best friend because right now everybody else was insufferable.

* * *

He sat down next to her at lunch the next day but didn't know what to say. Meanwhile Brittany and Blaine argued about her decision to not sing anymore.

"I had a song in my heart, Blaine Warbler, and you killed it. Now I have a dead song in my heart. I'm pretty sure the corpse of my dead song is going to smell", Brittany said.

Then they made fun of the lunch lady again. Sam suffered silently through it. Well, until Marley got upset about it and stormed away because the lunch lady was her mother.

Oops.

The whole table fell silent, even the Cheerios. Sam noticed that Kurt wasn't here. Kurt would've said something, no, he wouldn't have let it happen in the first place. What the hell was Glee club supposed to do without its former leaders?

* * *

The next day Sam walked up to Marley at her locker.

"Hey, Marley! Uhm, I just wanted to apologise for all of us and beg you not to quit. Look, I get you. For instance I know that that sweater is from Wal-Mart and your mum sew the label into it."

"How do you know that?"

"Because my mum used to do the same thing for me. The best thing about Glee club is it's not about labels. If you can sing, if you can dance, you belong. And dude, you can sing!"

The whole Glee club approached them now and apologised, too. Sam was impressed, everybody actually seemed regretful and admitted that the popularity had gone to their heads.

So they rejected the Cheerios, too… and the first Slushies of the year were passed out.

* * *

"Sam, can I talk to you?"

"Yeah, sure!" He slowed his pace a bit so that Marley could catch up with him.

"So… what you said today was really nice. And I was wondering… Well… oh God, this is awkward." She blushed and hid her face in her hand.

Sam could guess how she felt. He had gone through several awkward situations in his life. Maybe he could help her out on this one.

"If I can show you the Lima Bean Café, the coolest place of them all?" he asked. "Sure, I can do that!"

Kurt wasn't in the Lima Bean, too. Artie, Brittany and Blaine were here, though. Sam glanced at them when he got in line with Marley. The fact that the line existed clearly meant they didn't have any waiters running around and taking orders, right?

"So, did you just move to Lima or…?" Sam asked.

"Yes, we were living in Columbus before."

"Huh, that's not too far away", Sam said. They got their coffees and sat down on a small table for two. But before they could start an interesting, fascinating conversation that would make them fall in love with each other Blaine appeared.

"Again, Marley, I'm so glad you didn't quit Glee club", he said.

"Thank you. We just had a bad start."

"Yes. So…" Blaine fumbled with his hands. "Sam, can we talk?"

"About what? I think everything has been said this week, hasn't it?"

"I wasn't the nicest guy to you, too."

"Oh, well. Don't worry about that. I mean for your career you have to learn to be mean and everything. And hey, I get it. You chose career over love. It's okay. Really. New year, new chances, right? In fact I wanted to break up, anyway. You just said it first."

"Oh."

Sam nodded, and Blaine strolled away.

"Oh God! You're gay", Marley said. "Now this is even more awkward, I actually thought this was date!"

"No, no! I'm bi. It can still be a date", Sam hurried to say. She blushed and looked down. Well, he hadn't lied a few days before, she _was_ cute. Yes, totally.


	19. Britney2, Makeover

**Britney 2.0**

Brittany had some problems. For example: she ate junk food in school. Apart from the fact that it made Sam want to eat some himself (and he hadn't done that since 2011) it made everybody uneasy how sloppy her general appearance was these days.

Sam got the suspicion she was up to something. But before he could find out what it was he got distracted by two things. One: It was Britney week again. Spears, that is. Second and a little unnerving: Artie and Blaine sang '_If I Were Your Boyfriend'_ to Brittany.

What the…? But Sam caught Blaine's eyes pretty often and he started to wonder if he secretly sang to him, secretly wanted him back…?

* * *

The next day Sam sang "Three" with Joe and Tina and looked at Blaine during some lines like '_Are you game'_ and '_Are you in'_ but somehow the message/question didn't quite get to him.

The performance was then interrupted by Brittany trying to shave her head and that reminded Sam that he also had a mission here.

Oh, and Marley wanted to go on a second date. As first reaction Sam thought he shouldn't do it, that he somehow still was too preoccupied with Blaine but then he luckily got over this first reaction and agreed.

* * *

"Singing to Brittany doesn't help. We need to let her get into the spotlight", Blaine said.

Sam jumped on the piano. Brittany had beaten up the school's very own journalist Jacob Ben Israel. She was behaving like her role model Britney Spears, and something was up with that. If Sam could just figure out what! But now they were throwing her an intermission, that should be working, right?

"What a size of coffee is that?" Sam asked about the freakishly big coffee in her hands. Oh yeah, by the way, Blaine had positioned himself next to Sam, one arm propped on the piano and his shoulder leaning in. Sam leaned to him, too, and they almost touched, almost.

"Kicky, what size of coffee am I drinking?" Brittany asked her phone.

"You're drinking a Settanta", a computer voice said. "Seventy ounces of Espresso."

"Thank you, Kicky. You're the only one I can trust now that Santana is too busy for me."

They offered her the lead sing in their performance on Friday and she insisted on lip syncing. Her phone agreed with her so it was settled.

"Now. That was a waste of time", Artie said as Brittany took her bag and left the room. Sam didn't want to move, though. He wanted to throw his arms around Blaine and breathe in the scent of his skin.

"This is madness", Blaine said, massaging his temples.

"Well, maybe, if we grant her wishes she will be happy again", Tina said. She jumped down from the other side of the piano and strolled out. Now Blaine moved, too, and broke their magical almost touching.

"It's all because she is sad about Santana. Long distance relationships are hard", Joe nodded. "You two can be glad you're the same age."

Sam looked around. Who was he talking to? At the moment there were no couples in Glee club… wow, there actually were no couples in Glee club! Had this ever been the case?

"Oh, we're broken up", Blaine said.

"Huh? What?"

Everybody still in the room turned their heads.

"Sam is going out with Marley", Blaine explained.

"Not officially", he said (because she wasn't here anymore).

"Oh, but… but…" Joe said.

"Blaine is the one who broke up. He left me for his career", Sam said.

"Can you not… Would you…" Blaine stuttered.

"Okay, I'm outta here", Artie said. Suddenly everybody was eager to leave the room. Sam crossed his arms and waited until they were alone so that Blaine would finally speak about it.

"I wanted to apologise last week but you wouldn't hear me out!"

"Well. It's obvious you want me back but you can't just do that. Leave, come back… leave."

"How is it... I didn't say I want you back! But… did you have to start dating again so soon? How am I supposed to feel about that?"

Sam shrugged. "Heartbroken, of course. And then realise that yes, you want me back, indeed. Just admit it."

Blaine glared at him. "You're pretty chesty."

"And cute."

"You're an idiot."

"I used to be your idiot."

"I am focusing on improving my singing skills!" Blaine almost screamed.

"To sing me a song and win me back?"

Blaine was motionless for a few moments. Then he jerked forward, dragged Sam downward with a hand in his neck and kissed him. Uh, yeah. Sam glided from the piano, laid his hands on Blaine's waist and returned the kiss.

"You are right", Blaine muttered. "You are my idiot. I just missed you so much over summer that I started to suppress any thought about you."

"So you're the idiot here", Sam said. He stroked over Blaine hard plastic hair and broke into a bright smile. Shit, what was Blaine _doing?_ Suddenly everything Sam hadn't allowed himself to feel before made its way to the surface and he started to sob.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Marley, I can't make it tonight. Or ever, I mean… it's not about you but… I'm kind of back together with my ex", Sam said the next day on her locker.

"Oh."

"I would be happy if he could become friends, though", Sam said. "I totally would have dated you if I hadn't been in love with someone else. I so would have. It's bad timing, with us, isn't it?"

"I…" Marley closed her locker and held her books to her chest. "It's okay. I think Jake is cute, too. Do you think I should ask him out?"

"The boy who has a temper?"

"That's not all there is to him, okay!?"

"Okay, man! Ask him out, why not. Lions can be tamed, after all."

They went to Glee club, which had an important performance in front of the whole school today. Sam was a bit nervous. But first he needed to say something. When everybody was still in the choir room waiting for Mr Schue he stood in front of the group and stretched out his arms.

"Everybody! Listen up! I have an important and equally happy announcement to make!"

"When's the baby's due date?" Unique asked.

"Haha! No, I'm not pregnant, thank God, my parents would kill me!"

"Uhm, did you pay attention in health class at all?" Artie asked.

Sam put his hands together. "Here's the thing! Blaine and I are back together. You may thank us later. Or now, if you must."

Silence. Artie crossed his arms and Blaine put a hand on his face, inhaling deeply.

"Even if I hadn't known you were broken up what difference does it make?" Artie said.

"And why should we _thank_ you?" Tina said.

"Hey, hey, everybody, lay back", Blaine said. "I for one think that are great news, Sam."

"Thank you!"

"No, thank _you_!"

"Ugh! Okay, can we now focus on our performance? Where's Brittany?" Artie asked.

She already was behind the stage. When everybody was ready changing into their costumes, Brittany just sat there and kept eating Cheetos. Of course the performance was a disaster and there lip-syncing was discovered. During the lecture from Mr Schue afterwards Brittany quiet Glee club.

That was when Sam finally got it. Of course! She had behaved worse and worse until the end of the week, spiralling down, and there was only one explanation for it: She was faking it, DUH!

* * *

"What are you doing, again?"

"Drawing a map for Brittany so she can find me in the auditorium on Monday."

"Why don't you just ask her to meet you?"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Where'd be the fun in that? By the way, I'm still waiting for a song to win me back."

Blaine, who sat on his bed, put Cheetos (Brittany had brought a dozen bags to Glee club and everybody had taken some home) into his mouth and chewed slowly. Then he gulped and said: "How about '_Bring back my Bonnie to me_'? I could change it to '_Bring back my Sammy to me'_."

"No, I want something like '_Can't live if living it without you'_. The real deal, you know? I want to feel the pain of your regret and everything."

He had finished the outline of the school and started with the red lines that would tell Brittany where to go.

"Mariah Carey it is then."

"No! Not when I suggested it. I want to know what you personally would choose."

"You know…" Blaine put the bag of Cheetos on his bedside table and turned to Sam, who sat beside him. Blaine threw his arms around him and laid his head on Sam's shoulder.

"I personally would choose you."

"Mmh, okay, that was a smart move. I'm almost willed to let you get away without a song…"

Sam marked the auditorium with a fat red X and closed his pen.

"Buuut just almost."

"I'll think about a song, don't be afraid. I made a stupid mistake so it's only fair if I'm the one to make it right again."

"Good. And by the way… it's Saturday." Sam waggled his eyebrows. No, he had not forgotten Blaine's schedule and as it turned out, neither had Blaine.

* * *

On Monday Sam made Blaine give the map to Brittany and waited in the auditorium of her. She confessed everything! Though it didn't really matter that Sam had uncovered it because as she explained Mr Schue and his fiancé had already taken some action to help Brittany and would counsel her so she would graduate this year.

Then they got a new member in Glee club. Jake, actually. And he was a brother of Puck… so weird.

But it all was kind of not important when Blaine asked if he could sing another Britney song and also announced that it was for Sam.

_And everytime I try to fly  
I fall without my wings  
I feel so small  
I guess I need you baby.  
And everytime I see you in my dreams  
I see your face, it's haunting me  
I guess I need you baby._

_I may have made it rain  
Please forgive me.  
My weakness caused you pain  
And this song is my sorry._

**Makeover**

"You did _what?_ I thought you wanted to focus really hard on your career and I'm the only distraction you can afford and stuff like that."

"Well, I can practise singing, have three dates per week with you _and_ be in twenty-seven clubs, I don't see the problem there. I totally exaggerated over summer", Blaine said.

Sam snorted. "You sure exaggerate now."

"But the best thing is: I'm running for president!"

Blaine smiled as sweetly as a toddler. Sam got candy poisoning and turned around with rolling eyes. Now – once again, actually – his boyfriend had become totally mad.

* * *

Brittany was running for president, too. Since last week when Sam had found out about her act (and since literally all his other friends had left) he had bonded with her so he figured it was only fair to warn her that Blaine, too, was in the running and she had no chance of winning.

When he did that she answered with: "Well, I didn't want to ruin our friendship."

"What?"

"But I do think you'd be a great vice president. So I'm going to help you out."

They had walked down the halls and now reached Blaine at his locker, who was reading something probably not important for school. Brittany hooked arms with Sam and guided him to Blaine.

"Blaine Warbler. I'd like to introduce you to Sam Evans."

Sam leaned against the lockers and reached out his hand. Blaine looked up with the most confused face.

"Uhm… We've actually met… several times."

What a party pooper.

"He's you candidate for vice president", Brittany said.

"I'm not sure if that is the best idea…"

"My family is on food stamps so that will get you the sympathy vote, I'm the bi one so that will get us all the girl votes and I don't wanna brag but… My impressions are hilarious one hundred per cent of the time!"

Sam used his George Bush voice that Blaine didn't know yet.

Blaine didn't react to that.

"George Bush, come on!"

"Okay, yeah, sure. Brittany, can you give us a minute?"

"I can! First order of business: Artie and I challenge you and Sam to a debate!"

"You're on", Blaine said. Brittany hopped away and Sam leaned to Blaine to whisper into his ear.

"What's a debate?"

"Sam, where's that suddenly coming from? And why didn't you just ask me instead of making Brittany fix us up?"

"I had no idea what she was up to, okay? But for the record: We can do this. We are McKinley's power couple. Or at least we should be."

Blaine waggled his head. "Okay then."

"Awesome!"

They started walking down the halls.

"Look, I don't want people to think I chose you as my running mate because we're together so I need you to look like a serious candidate", Blaine said.

"What do you mean, pilgrim?"

"What that John Wayne?"

"Yeah, I panicked."

"Okay, listen. We're going to meet in the costume shop in your next free period. From now on, it's all serious business, get it?"

Sam already started to regret it.

* * *

The costume shop was awesome! They had stuff, loads and loads of stuff like textiles and tinsel even when it wasn't Christmas. And so many scissors, oh wow!

"Test scores in McKinley have gone down sixteen per cent every year for the past decade. What would you do to fix the problem?" Blaine ran around with little cards in his hands, looking only at them and not at Sam.

"Stop giving tests!" That was an easy question. "They are hard and there's way too many of them."

Blaine sighed put the card away. "You know what? Let's talk wardrobe!"

He pointed behind Sam, so he turned around and faced a big mirror. Wardrobe…? His clothes were totally ordinary. A blue hoodie, a grey shirt and jeans.

"I look like the average student and that gives us the average vote", Sam said.

Blaine stepped behind him and adjusted his hoodie.

"But the thing is you need to look like a Politian."

"Boring!"

"Sam. You agreed to be my running mate so let me dress you accordingly now."

"Does that involve you undressing me first?"

"Actually… yes."

Blaine rounded Sam and pushed down his hoodie. Sam waggled his eyebrows. But he soon discovered Blaine was all business, just like he had said.

"I'm going to see if they have fancy things in your size", Blaine said and went to the cupboards. Sam got out of his shirt and jeans, too and spent the waiting time checking out his abs. Then Blaine brought him clothes and Sam put them on. He had been right, it was fancy. Blue shirt and beige trousers.

Blaine really liked to dress Sam, though. His hands were on his most of the time. Not that Sam minded.

Blaine threw the tie around Sam's neck and knotted it.

"Okay, great. No, wait! Maybe darker trousers!"

He offered Sam another pair of dark blue trousers, so Sam put them on. He didn't know how many hours followed that he tried on different trouser, shirt, jackets and ties. Blaine never was content with anything. But Sam's concentration eventually jumped out of the window. He pulled off his shirt and flexed his arm muscles.

"Yeah, okay, we can stop now", Blaine said. "I have decided for an outfit."

"Admit it! You totally get off on dressing me. Even more than undressing me, however weird that is."

"I just like being in charge, you know. So, on Friday you're going to wear that." Blaine folded a dark blue suit, a white shirt and a red tied and put it into a bag to store it away while Sam got into his usual clothes.

* * *

On Friday Sam gelled his hair (okay, okay, Blaine did) and Sam decided to give Blaine the best advice ever. Now it was his time to speak up, his time to shine.

"Loose the bowtie."

"_What?"_

"I never said anything but since we're going through profound changes I need to tell you: It makes you look uptight and a little like a young Orville Redenbacher. Just take it off."

Blaine sighed but did it.

* * *

Later Sam put on his most serious face as he got on the stage with Artie. Oh, that boy could talk. He did it for like an hour or so but Sam didn't know what about since he, of course, didn't listen.

"Sam Evans, your response", Sue Sylvester, who was holding the debate, eventually said.

"I wasn't really listening, whatever Artie said… I agree with that."

Perfect answer was perfect! Sam glanced to Blaine behind the stage but somehow Blaine looked frustrated (probably because of Arties long talk) and mouthed something to Sam, who shook his head in response. He couldn't lip read and Blaine knew it.

"Our next question is from Twitter. Ed Hungry South Mouth asks Sam Evans: Rumour has it that you were a stripper, aren't you ashamed?"

Oh man! Sam took a deep breath. There had been going on some talk about that topic and Blaine had said he shouldn't be ashamed. So after a short glance to him Sam stepped back.

"No, I'm not. In fact…"

He walked slowly and professionally to the middle of the stage, finally seeing an opportunity to get rid of the tie that Blaine had knotted way too tight.

* * *

"I could strangle you!" Blaine said. "If I didn't have to get out there myself now I actually would!"

"Calm down, man, I was just getting us the sexually frustrated votes and believe me, that will be a lot."

Blaine shook his head. He took this all way too serious. Sam would need to find a way to relax him later… wink, wink.

He put on his shirt again while Blaine already got out on stage. Next were tie and jacket and then he went out to support Blaine, who just reminded the students of Brittany's biggest mistake last year.

"She banned the use of hair gel! Ladies and Gentleman, telling anyone what they can or cannot put to their hair is disgusting. It's the first step towards tyranny, my friends. Next thing you know they will start burning books. And then they'll probably start burning people, too."

Sam nodded as supportive and politically as he could.

"That's a lie", Brittany said.

"This tyranny all ends today, McKinley! I wanna offer you a change, and I am that change! Let's make history and vote Anderson-Evans. Thank you."

Yes! They so had already won!

No, correction. They so had already won when Brittany declared her love for the school and said she wanted to eliminate weekends and summer vacations.

* * *

"You're so tensed. Like super tensed", Sam mumbled, running his fingers over Blaine's bare shoulders. His on stage Shirtlessness had inspired Blaine to do the same even when only in his bedroom. Sam was on top today because he had decided he needed to relax Blaine.

"I put so much effort into my speech, you know."

"Yes. And you were perfect. Perfect." Sam licked down Blaine's neck, kissed his shoulders and further down one arm.

"I don't just want to win because of what Brittany has said." Blaine apparently still had enough energy to talk. "How do I know now if students really liked my speech?"

"I did." Sam went down the other arm.

"We will win in any case. Maybe we should start making our victory banner already. We're going to need to find a mashed up name with that people can refer to us."

"Anderson-Evans not good enough?"

"Yes, but _so long_! Uh, Sam!"

Sam had moved on to Blaine's chest and finally it showed some effect on the other boy. Sam grinned and went on.

"How about… you know, Finn and Rachel were 'Finchel'. We need something like that", Blaine said.

"We need to be called Finchel? That'd be weird."

"No, but… Samaine or something."

"That sounds like a witches' Sabbath."

"Sambla… Blainam?"

Sam put his hand on Blaine's chest and moved up to look into his face.

"Blam?"

"Yeah. I like that." Blaine smiled. "Short and catchy."

"Written in Comic Sans."

"Uhm… let's talk about that later."

"You're right, we got better things to do. Things that will make you go all _blam!_"

Sam grinned and moved downwards again.

* * *

On Monday in class they announced the winner of the election. It was them, no one was really surprised.

"Victory party, victory party!" Sugar cried when they came to Glee club. "I made my Daddy rent Breadstix again."

She wasn't joking, and so they spent all day decorating the restaurant and the evening celebrating the victory that in the end was totally useless since being senior president wasn't good for anything.


End file.
